A year ago last month, Wiscasset School Department's business manager, Cathy Coffey, said with Wiscasset's valuation hiking at a higher rate than the state average, the town stands to get less state school aid, and eventually could become a "minimum receiver." That would mean education in Wiscasset would be nearly 100% town-funded, she explained at the time.

But the outlook may be improving for Wiscasset according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson's explanation of developments since then. Aug. 11, she told the school committee's finance committee, starting fiscal year 2027-28, part of the state's school funding formula will move from a town's valuation to a region's median salary.

"And that's actually going to be good for Wiscasset. We stand to have our subsidy increase a bit, in early estimates of what it's going to look like in FY 28."

Committee member John Merry asked if the formula change takes away the possibility of Wiscasset's becoming a minumum receiver.

"Yes it does," Andersson said.

"That's good news," he said.

"It's great news," Andersson said. And she said the formula rarely changes, so she's hoping the change she described stays in place a long time.

Coffey said positive changes were made to the formula, and more ought to be, "but it's definitely a step in the right direction."

Coffey had one caution: It is not yet known how much funding the state will still be providing in 2028 for the special education pre-K program Wiscasset has been taking part in through Cohort 2. "Right now, Cohort 2 expenses are 100% state-funded. How that's going to change in 2028, we don't know, because we know for certain that our other students aren't subsidized at 100%, so that is yet to be determined," Coffey said.

"And I think they're figuring that out ...," Andersson added. "It's the shift from (Child Development Services) paying and managing everything, to the local schools (doing that)."

Also Aug. 11, Coffey said, pre-audit, but still a "good picture of how the department will end the year," $354,366 remains unspent from the 2025-26 budget. And the department has untouched reserves for fuel, special education and insurance, she told the finance committee. 

The 2025-26 facilities budget ran over by about $42,000, Coffey said. "Remember we were concerned about going over because of the cost of fuel? And we did in fact go over by almost 3%, which we could cover with that (fuel) reserve, but I think you might want to just sit on it for tougher times."

"I'd say we save the reserve for '27, just in case," Andersson said.

Committee members concurred. Andersson added, in her experience personally, "Whenever I receive any money, there's immediately an emergency expense."