Disclaimer: The views I express here are my own and should NOT be construed as speaking for the City of Bangor or the City Council of Bangor.
Overview of the Meeting
You can view the agenda for this meeting, which includes the School Committee’s budget presentation, by clicking here.
The Bangor School Committee and Bangor City Council convened for a joint meeting on the evening of Wednesday, April 30th, to conduct a review of the draft fiscal year 2026 school department budget. The session featured a presentation by the school department, followed by an extensive discussion between members of City Council and the School Committee.
Budget Presentation Highlights: The school department emphasized its efforts to construct a “sound educational budget” that remains mindful of taxpayers while ensuring high-quality education. Key points from their presentation included:
- Mission and Goals: A review of the Bangor School Department’s mission, vision, and budget goals, aligning with the strategic plan to optimize learning and maintain fiscal responsibility.
- Enrollment Trends: Data showed a historical and projected decline in student enrollment over the next ten years. Conversely, there has been a significant increase in students identified with special needs since 2016, impacting costs.
- Demographics: Current demographics indicate that 51% of students in Bangor schools are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
- Revenue and Expenditures: An overview of general fund revenue highlighted an increase in state subsidy, which helped offset local taxpayer costs. Major factors contributing to budget increases were contractual obligations, employee benefits, and expenses to support student programming.
- Capital Improvement: A link to the five-year capital improvement plan was provided, stressing the importance of facility maintenance for optimal learning environments.
Council Discussion and Concerns: Council members engaged in a thorough discussion, raising several concerns and seeking clarifications:
- Taxpayer Impact: Multiple councilors voiced concerns about the overall budget increase and its impact on Bangor taxpayers, particularly those on fixed incomes, given rising costs in other areas.
- Enrollment vs. Expenses: The contrast between declining student enrollment and increasing expenses, including a 5% rise in staff Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) since 2021, was a central point of discussion. Some councilors sought further trimming of the proposed local share increase of 2.61% (overall budget increase of 4.73%).
- Staffing Justifications: The school department explained that staffing decisions considered retirements (two high school teacher positions going unfilled), internal transfers to fill needs, and the removal of eight previously budgeted but long-unfilled positions. They also justified requests for new positions, such as an athletic director and an elementary school counselor, by highlighting the need to support student mental health, reduce the burden on existing staff (like assistant principals handling athletics), and ensure adequate student support. Past increases in FTEs were also attributed to responses to the COVID-19 crisis and an influx of Multilingual Learner (ML) students.
- Special Education Costs: The rising number of students with special needs and the associated costs, including tuition for specialized out-of-district placements, were acknowledged as significant budget drivers.
- Educational Quality: Several participants emphasized the importance of investing in education to provide students with the best opportunities and to make Bangor an attractive place for families. During the meeting I referenced a quote from the 1939 Bangor Annual Report: “a city is only as good as the opportunity it gives to the children to become the people they’re meant to be.” Quality education for our children has always been deeply important to our community. I believe that, and so many of you have told me as much when I’ve knocked on your doors.
- Innovative Funding: The school superintendent mentioned exploring the creation of a nonprofit foundation to support the school system and offset local costs through grants and other funding opportunities.
Outcome and Outlook: The school department representatives affirmed that the presented budget was the result of meticulous review, countless hours of work, and necessary adjustments to balance educational needs with fiscal prudence.
I expressed my opinion during the meeting. “If you’re here to tell us that this is the budget… this is what we need… and we’ve crunched every number, we’ve kicked every stone… this is what it is… then that’s what it is in my opinion and we’ll have to figure something else out.” In other words, I believe City Council will need to find budget cuts elsewhere.
Members of the School Committee stated that the budget presented was what they believed was essential. I commend the School Committee for their hard work and due diligence and they have my gratitude.
It was noted that Bangor’s proposed school budget increase to the tax rate (2.61% local share) was considerably lower than that of Portland (5.33%). The discussion concluded with an understanding of the complexities involved in the budgeting process, balancing the community’s desire for excellent schools with the financial realities faced by taxpayers.
What Happens Next?
The City Council will now begin its budget process of reviewing the proposal by the City Manager. Over the coming weeks the Council will discuss the budget on a department-by-department basis. Council may decide to make adjustments during this process. I will keep you informed about the process as we go along.
City Council, per the city’s charter, must make one gross appropriation for the support of public schools. It must do so “on the basis” of the estimate provided by the school committee. City Council will then vote on the final budget through a series of resolves, including an appropriation for public schools, to make it official.
The deadline to approve the budget is June 30th, as it takes effect on July 1st.
