The proposed 2025-26 Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit budget is $28.6 million, a would be hike of 5.1%, according to Superintendent of Schools Howard Tuttle's presentation in Alna April 24. "Honestly, this is definitely the toughest budget we've had," Tuttle said.

Among factors, he said high school tuition costs and out-of-district placement costs are both up and, due to property valuations' being up, state subsidy is poised to hike by $64,099, instead of its usual hike of about $400,000. 

The budget includes "nothing new," Tuttle said. "We're just trying to maintain."

According to the presentation, the final one in the district's yearly visits to towns, Alna's tab would rise $169,307.97, to $1,309,635.55; Westport Island's, by $80,531.13, to $1,053,265; Whitefield's, by $286,435.40, to $3,079,650.17; Windsor's, by $305,456.40, to $4,172,064.09; Somerville's, by $35,267, to $765,780.25; Palermo's, by $237,683.87, to $2,443,526.49; and Chelsea's, by $263,720.90, to $3,212,938.29.

By cost center, regular instruction is proposed at $14,501,447.69, up $553,644.06 from this year; that budget includes PreK to eighth grade regular instruction, down $114,959 to a proposed $6,379,345.49, and high school tuition, up $668,603 to $8,122,102.20.

In other cost centers, K-12 special education is proposed at $6,121,421.68, up $784,684.21; other instruction, proposed at $157,658.05, up $13,654.12; student and staff support, $1,308,583.16, up $76,121.84; system administration $761,943.88, up $62,764.05; school administration, $990,572.73, up $41,831.06; transportation and buses, $1,803,083.62, up $183,287.03; facilities and maintenance, $2,151,913.31, down $27,951.66; and debt service, $844,102.35, down $281,805.22.

Tuttle encouraged voters to go to the district budget meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. May 21 at Chelsea Elementary School. The budget that comes out of that night's series of votes goes to a vote at the polls in each town as a referendum June 10.

Also April 24, selectmen reappointed Mary Bowers to the appeals board and named Jamie Riordan and Lili Pugh to the planning board.