Town Meetings

January 30. 2013 9:59PM

Milton residents to consider school reorganization

By JOHN QUINN
Union Leader Correspondent

MILTON - This March, residents will consider whether to study reorganization, whether to bolster security in schools and whether to increase the budget by less than a percent.

In preparation for the upcoming vote, residents will discuss matters during the deliberative session, which is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Nute Middle/High School cafeteria. Residents will vote March 12 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Emma Ramsey Center on Route 125.

Article 7 asks residents if they want district officials to form a planning committee to study the organization and reorganization - including the potential withdrawal - from School Administrative Unit 64, which oversees Milton and Wakefield.

Milton students attend local schools from kindergarten to grade 12. Wakefield students attend classes at the Paul School in Sanbornville until grade 8 before heading to Spaulding High School in Rochester.

Article 2 would appropriate $8,839,562 for the operating budget. It is $64,562 - or 0.7 percent - greater than last year's budget of $8,775,000. If rejected in March, a default budget $8,904,522 will be enacted and the district can hold a special meeting to discuss a revised operating budget.

If approved, Article 3 would appropriate $417,124 to pay for the district's share of the $954,955 school budget. The balance will be paid by Wakefield. If rejected by a majority in both districts, Milton would have to pay $414,207 of the $948,276 default budget.

Article 4 would appropriate $30,000 to establish an expandable trust fund to update and improve security in the schools.

Two other articles propose to use surplus funds - from the unreserved fund balance, which is available July 1 - to add to existing accounts. Article 5 would transfer $50,000 for building maintenance, repairs and renovations of existing school buildings, while Article 6 would add $25,000 for to teach educationally disabled children. For more information, visit sau64.org.

jquinn@newstote.com