“If we really need to find extreme cuts in the budget, then it should start from the top (jobs) down, not the other way around,” Wiscasset School Committee Vice Chair Jonathan Barnes said March 31. The committee and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson were an hour into the possibly last workshop of the 2026-27 budget season, and they were reviewing potential cuts Andersson emphasized she did not recommend, but which administrators floated as the committee looked for a lower budget offer.

The potential cuts discussed, and supported by no one in the discussion, included an educational technician in special education and two in general education; a librarian and an art teacher, leaving the two schools to share a librarian and an art teacher, “which I don’t recommend, but you asked to bring things …,” Andersson said.

Andersson argued for no job cuts. “We need every person that works here … There’s not a person here that has down time in their day. People are spread thin and work really hard, and they give it 100% because they love this town and they love our kids. I wouldn’t change a thing …”

Member Christopher Hart asked at one point, “We’re not cutting fat here, we’re cutting muscle, right?”

“Yes,” Andersson said. 

“They’re the engine that runs this place,” member Doug Merrill said.

Barnes went on to get more specific on his earlier “top down” comment: “I’m not for cutting any staff positions. I would be open, and propose the idea, that we contract the superintendent from a neighboring district, and that would save you your $200,000 right there.”

“First you’d have to buy out my contract,” Andersson said.

“That’s something the board can discuss with legal, what it would cost us. I’m not saying we do that (change). I’m just saying, there’s a lot of school districts our size that are paying a $25,000 stipend to a neighboring district (for) a part-time superintendent. I know superintendents that are managing 1,500 students.

“I’m not saying do that … That’s a valid suggestion, though,” Barnes continued. “Everybody can deny it if they want to, (but) I just think at some point we need to discuss it.”

“I think here we just need to get our budget settled …,” Merrill said.

“Yeah and focus on (that),” Chair Tracey Whitney agreed.

Said member Brycson Grover of the stipended superintendent idea, “I don’t think it hurts necessarily to have a constructive discussion around it.”

Responding to questions April 1 and 2, Andersson said she is making $121,000 "and in FY 27, that increases to $124,600. My health insurance is $12,643 this year and estimated to be $13,907 next year."

In the March 31 workshop, Barnes noted Andersson’s recent statement after Wiscasset Middle High School Principal Sarah Hubert resigned effective June 30. Andersson said she could also serve as WMHS principal next school year if the committee chose that to save money. 

“You said the superintendent could do both jobs.”

“Not well,” Andersson said. “Not well.”

Said Barnes, “Well, again, I think due to our staffing numbers, our student numbers … we could contract a neighboring, (such as) Boothbay, Richmond, superintendent (for) a $25,000 stipend …”

“There is not a superintendent on the planet that would do this job for $25,000,” Andersson said. 

“We don’t know that,” Barnes said.

“Well, anyway, let’s move onto the budget,” Merrill said. 

“Yes,” Whitney said.

“Majority rules … I just threw it out there. If nobody wants to entertain that (idea), we’ll move on,” Barnes said. He added, he would only consider job cuts from the top down.

Whitney reminded the committee, goals recently discussed included only cutting staffing through attrition. 

The panel supported tapping the fund balance for $500,000 to lessen the 2026-27 budget’s tax impact. As the $11.2 million draft stood going into a potential vote in the special committee meeting set for 6 p.m. April 1 in WMHS’ library, the budget would be up 4% from 2025-26, with the local ask up 7.89%, Andersson said.