"Great job everyone. Thank you. We did it!" Wiscasset Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson declared, and raised her arms April 1 as the school committee nodded the $11.2 million, 2026-27 budget offer, mostly in 3-2 votes. Plans call for voters to consider it piece by piece at 6 p.m. April 29 at Wiscasset Middle High School. The budget that comes out of that special town meeting goes to a vote at the polls in June.

The offer is 4.4% higher than 2025-26's budget, and the local ask is up 7.8%, Andersson has said. 

The committee kept intact the wording on warrant articles about reserve funds, including one for health insurance that reads: "To see if the Wiscasset School Committee will be authorized to expend available funds from the Health Insurance Reserve Fund (current balance $80,000) to offset health insurance costs that exceed budgeted amounts?" Member Christopher Hart was concerned some voters will misunderstand. He suggested changing "that exceed budgeted amounts" to "if budgeted amounts are exceeded."

Andersson said the wording was attorney-reviewed, is the same as last year's, and there was not time to get another legal look and still get the warrant to the town office April 2, but that the committee could reword it without another look from the lawyer. According to the discussion, the articles on reserve funds will be explained at the special town meeting, and the committee will explore wording changes for 2027-28.

The committee proposes $3,793,799 for regular instruction; $2,866,900, special education instruction; $0, career and technical education, because the state now pays Bath Regional Career and Technical Center directly, Andersson explained; $401,604, other instruction; $843,550, student and staff support; $548,895, system administration; $630,984, school administration; $663,858, transportation and buses; $1,392,151, facilities maintenance; $0, debt service, because the department has no debt for locally funded school construction projects, Andersson said; and $50,000, all other expenditures, food service transfer.

The committee proposes appropriating $5,884,166​ "for the total cost of funding public education from pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act" and raising $3,950,277 "as the Town’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act ..." 

One funding article requires a written ballot: "To see what sum the Town will be authorized to raise and appropriate in additional local funds for school purposes ... The Wiscasset School Committee recommends $3,540,663 which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $3,490,663 as required to fund the budget recommended by the school Committee. The school committee gives the following reasons for exceeding the State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by $3,490,663: The additional local funds represent local costs to support the Wiscasset School Department school programs that are not included in the State’s funding model, including costs for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, transportation, school and system administration, and special education services." 

The committee proposes $11,191,742 for the total preK through grade 12 school budget; appropriating $34,000 for adult education and raising $26,000 of that;  authorizing tapping, if needed, the special education services reserve fund, fuel reserve fund and health insurance reserve fund; authorizing the committee to accept and spend grants that do not require spending local funds "not previously appropriated"; and authorizing use of any "unanticipated increase in state subsidy."

Vice Chair Jonathan Barnes and member Brycson Grover supported that last one and the food service transfer, the fuel, health insurance and special ed reserve fund taps if needed, and the grant acceptance and career and technical ed articles. Grover abstained from voting on the article that proposes $0 for debt service for locally funded school construction projects "'til I see the audit," he said. Barnes and Grover opposed the rest. Hart, Chair Tracey Whitney and member Doug Merrill supported all articles. 

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