The feat thought impossible was completed - Superintendent Eileen King managed to cut $499,000 from the total CSD budget for 2008 - 2009.

Of that $499,000, $57,463 was trimmed from the trustees' budget.

King presented the trustees with the final numbers at their April 2 meeting. The revisions made to the trustees' budget were in the following categories: fuel down $30,000 (previously announced), unemployment down $10,000, contracted services in both schools was cut $8,400 or $16,800 between both schools.

There was a drop in the health insurance line due to the people changing plans and because the original budget reflected a projected 10 percent increase. The increase in health benefits came in at a four percent increase.

"I really felt we needed to do everything we could do to get this budget down to a place where our taxpayers could support it," King said.

The trustees unanimously voted to approve the trustee portion of the 2008 - 2009 budget of $1,359,375, an overall increase of 0.91 percent over the 2007 - 2008 budget.

King informed the trustees of the school committee's recommendation to pull the school budget validation vote out of the town meeting week to May 15.

"According to state law, the CSD is allowed to hold a ballot vote on one day," King said. "Because there are two towns holding town meetings on two separate days Boothbay Harbor on Friday, May 2 and Boothbay on Monday, May 5, a problem is created; if the results from Boothbay Harbor came out prior to the results in Boothbay that would be an issue."

King added that the law further states that the budget validation vote will be held on a date set by the school committee.

With LD1932 still in limbo, the CSD is essentially functioning under two laws.

"Should LD1932 pass, the budget will be presented under 11 cost centers (categories include, regular instruction, special education, career and technical education, other instruction, student and staff support, facilities management, system administration, school administration, debt service and other commitments, transportation and buses and all other expenditures, as set up by the Department of Education) and will have to hold the district meeting and the vote within 10 days," said King.

"If LD1932 does not pass, we will be under six cost centers and will have to hold the vote on the third day after the district budget meeting."

The six cost centers would read as follows: Pre-K through 12 instruction (includes special education), instructional support (i.e., library, technology, etc.), leadership, operations, transportation, other commitments.

King has prepared two versions of the budget, reflecting in six cost center and 11 cost center budget formats to be prepared, regardless of the outcome of LD1932, for public presentation of the budget.

"I know it is confusing," King said. "But I don't know how else to do it. We are required to meet the law regardless of what the timeframe is."

King said there was a possibility the budget vote would occur at BRES and that she would be approaching the Boothbay selectmen to seek their approval for Boothbay residents to vote on the school budget in Boothbay Harbor.

The town clerks from both Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor will have to be at the polls, to check in each voter from their town.

There was discussion about ballots being two different colors to reflect the two towns to allow for a count by town although the final budget vote combines all votes from both towns.

King presented the final assessment to the towns as follows: Boothbay Harbor with 249 students carries 36.51 percent of the budget; $2,599,306; debt service (60/40) $113,092; adult education $15,334; total Boothbay Harbor assessment is $2,727,732. Last year's figure was $2,607,609.

The assessment for Boothbay, with 433 students, for the next school year budget represents 63.49 percent of the total budget. The assessment toward the regular budget is $4,520,131; debt service (60/40) $169,638 and adult education $26,666; total assessment $4,716,435. Last year's figure was $4,684,380.

The trustees' next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 7 at 5:15 p.m. in the BRHS Library.