GORHAM, Maine — Voters in Gorham have approved a budget for the school district on Tuesday after two previous failed attempts.
According to unofficial voting results Tuesday, the latest school budget passed by a vote of 2,235 to 1,431.
The Special School Budget Validation Election allowed voters to validate the revised FY24 school budget. Voters rejected the last budget in late July which called for $2 million in cuts to extracurricular activities and laying 14 staff members.
The third budget increases taxes on a home valued at $400,000 by approximately $313.
Five school staff positions will not be funded in the final budget, according to Superintendent Heather Perry, including:
- Two K-5 teaching positions, both previously unfilled and based on most recent enrollments.
- One GMS functional life skills teacher, previously unfilled.
- A 504 coordinator position, previously unfilled, which will impact 150 504 students across the district by shifting their case management.
- A half-time pre-K nurse, previously unfilled. Impacts will include the current full-time nurse at NARR needing to add an additional 64 pre-K students without additional assistance.
"We would like to thank all those who turned out to vote on our third proposed budget. The Gorham School Committee is pleased with today’s vote and is eager to move forward. We know our work is not done. We pledge to continue our collaboration with the Town Council and the community to find the best long-term path forward for Gorham, its taxpayers, and its children," the Gorham School Committee said Tuesday.
Perry told NEWS CENTER Maine Monday that the school committee feels the budget now passed was a "solid compromise." She said it was an overall reduction of $1.5 million from the first budget that failed in June. This version of the budget reduces a total of five staff positions and maintains all extra- and co-curricular activities, she said.
Voters in Gorham are already dealing with higher taxes after a revaluation that raised taxes in 2022.
The school budget amounts adopted by the Town Council at the Special Town Council Meeting on August 8th can be viewed HERE. The revised school budget can be viewed within the agenda for the Special Town Council Meeting Agenda HERE.