A budget draft Wiscasset Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson presented Feb. 11 would ask 12.4% more from local taxes than the 2025-26 budget did. The draft budget included an overall 9.35% hike, or $1,005,097. 

"Not to say that this is the budget that you're going to adopt and hand to taxpayers ... This is the one that has everything in it ... all the bells and whistles" before changes get made, Andersson explained to the school committee. She said the draft reflected strategic investment and "a commitment to maintaining educational excellence and also addressing the evolving needs of our student population. Primary drivers of these investments are in special education and core instruction ..."

Andersson told the committee, as drafted, the fund balance would be tapped for $500,000, not recent years' tap of $600,000 a year. "We want to wean ourselves off of that, so that we get to a place where we don't have a massive fund balance ... So we'll try and take a little bit less every year."

Under the draft, the regular ed budget would be up 8.88%, or $324,900, to $3,984,632; special ed, 14.61%, or $378,696, to $2,971,272; career and technical ed, continuing at zero dollars; other instruction, up 1.54%, or $6,151, to $405,811; student and staff support, up 11.49%, or $90,679, to $880,030; system administration, up 15.19%, or $79,646, to $603,890; school administration, up 5.62%, or $34,548, to $649,413; transportation, up 1.6%, or $11,204, to $709,640; facilities and maintenance, up 3.17%, or $44,849, to $1,460,105; debt service, still at zero; food service, flat at $50,000; and adult ed, up 100%, or $34,421 over last year's zero dollars.

Andersson explained to Wiscasset Newspaper Feb. 17, "We have pulled our adult ed money from the adult ed fund balance in the past, not hitting the local budget. If the money is raised in the local budget, it positively impacts the adult ed center's state funding." And she said Boothbay-Wiscasset Regional Adult Education Director Raye Leonard "is increasing program offerings at Wiscasset, resulting in a higher ask."

A school budget workshop was planned for 6 p.m. Feb. 25 in Wiscasset Middle High School's library.