Budget Still Center Stage At Canon-McMillan

It was standing-room only at the Canon-McMillan School District's agenda meeting
Monday night as residents turned out to voice concerns over the 2011-12 budget.

“I’m a widow. I live on a fixed income and I can’t afford to pay any more taxes,” said
resident Rose Holik.

Holik and nearly a dozen other residents addressed the board. Balancing taxpayer consideration, student education and teacher compensation was the central theme of most comments, with teacher compensation packages being the most contentious point.

Several residents said they feel the reason for the budget woes is that teacher pay has
become the main focus of the district, leaving taxpayers to pay more and more to cover the bill. The sustainability of this model was brought into question due to the number of retirees in the district who live on a fixed income that is not rising parallel to increases in the cost of living. Many of those residents, such as Holik, simply don’t have the money in their budget to accommodate a tax increase.

Because the Canon-McMillan School District is one that is seeing an increase
in resident and commercial development as well as an increase in property
assessments, more tax dollars are being generated. These extra monies, residents
argued, should be sufficient to fill any budgetary shortfalls. This means that taxes
do not need to be raised and important educational programs and initiatives do not
need to be cut, the board simply needs to be more prudent.

One resident suggested a one-year pay freeze for teachers, similar to what has been
done in the Bentworth School District, would be one way to stave off program cuts
and tax increases.

Residents all agree that the board has to make some tough decisions and create a
budget that is sustainable and the best use of district funds while maintaining the
high standard of education set forth by the district. Another resident asked the board to only think of how to operate efficiently within itself, and not in comparison to other schools districts.

Many residents also voiced frustration over the fact that calls to officials are not
returned in a timely fashion or at all, and information on litigation and legal fees is not readily available to taxpayers.

The 2011-12 budget must be completed and on display on or before June 1. Check
the district website for updates.

The next Canon-McMillan School District Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday in the district administration building.

Editor's Note: The district distributed the attached letter to give residents background information about the state of its finances.