Special Meeting: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 6 p.m. in the SPHS Lecture Hall

1.0 Call to Order

1.1 Pledge of Allegiance

1.2 Opening Statement

2.0 Report of the Superintendent

2.1 Resignations:

• Erica Mazzeo, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

• Samantha Matoian, Social Studies Teacher, SPHS

• Elbie Murphy, Student Engagement Coordinator, SPHS

3.0 New Business: All of the following actions pertain to the 2025-26 fiscal year.

3.1 Consideration and action to authorize that $28,543,963 be expended for Regular Instruction.

3.2 Consideration and action to authorize that $15,048,861 be expended for Special Education.  

3.3 Consideration and action to authorize that $0 be expended for Career and Technical Education.

3.4 Consideration and action to authorize that $1,262,741 be expended for Other Instruction. 

3.5 Consideration and action to authorize that $5,071,927 be expended for Student and Staff Support. 

3.6 Consideration and action to authorize that $2,771,251 be expended for System Administration.

3.7 Consideration and action to authorize That $3,198,248 be expended for School Administration.

3.8 Consideration and action to authorize that $2,830,679 be expended for Transportation and Buses.

3.9 Consideration and action to authorize that $6,233,469 be expended for Facilities Maintenance.

3.10 Consideration and action to authorize that $7,968,417 be expended for Debt Service and Other Commitments.

3.11 Consideration and action to authorize that $202,000 be expended for All Other Expenditures.

3.12 Consideration and action to authorize that $51,339,229 be appropriated 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 that $36,048,255 be raised as the City'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 in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15688.

Explanation: The City'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 is the amount of money determined by state law to be the minimum amount that the municipality must raise in order to receive the full amount of State dollars.

3.13 Consideration and action to authorize that $3,476,980 be raised and appropriated for the annual payments on debt service previously approved by the voters for non-State-funded school construction projects and non-State-funded portions of school construction projects in addition to the funds appropriated as the local share of the City's contribution to the total cost of funding public education from pre-kindergarten to grade 12.

Explanation: Non-State-funded debt service is the amount of money needed for the annual payments on the City’s long-term debt for major school construction projects that are not approved for state subsidy.  The bonding of this long-term debt was previously approved by the voters of the City as follows:

Facility and safety projects in 2024.
South Portland Middle School Construction in 2019.
Refunded portions of 2010 and 2012 bonds.

South Portland High School Addition and Renovation, approved by voters on November 2, 2010.

3.14 Consideration and action to authorize that $17,221,106 be raised and appropriated in additional local funds, which exceed the State’s Essential Programs and Services Allocation model by $17,221,106 as required to fund the budget recommended by the Board of Education.

The Board of Education recommends $17,221,106 for additional local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by $17,221,106.

  Co-curricular/athletic costs not recognized by EPS

Staffing for Nursing Services greater than acknowledged by EPS
Maintaining and staffing four elementary schools with relatively low enrollments
Class size targets lower than the state standard
Lease payments for interactive white boards/displays at the five elementary schools
Renovation of the Transportation Facility as approved by voters on November 5, 2019

Explanation:  The additional local funds are those locally raised funds over and above the municipality’s local 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 and local amounts raised for the annual payment on non-State funded debt service that will help achieve the school department budget for educational programs.

3.15 Consideration and action to authorize that the Board of Education be authorized to expend $73,131,556 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 from the municipality’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, non-State funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15690, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, state subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools.

3.16 Consideration and action to authorize the City of South Portland to appropriate $275,000 for Adult Education and raise $275,000 as the local share; with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and for the well-being of the adult education program.

3.17 Consideration and action to authorize the Board of Education to expend such other sums as may be received from state and federal grants or programs or other sources during the fiscal year for school and/or adult education purposes provided that such grants, programs or other sources do not require the expenditure of other funds not previously appropriated.

3.18 Consideration and action to authorize the Board of Education to use all or part of additional state subsidy received, if any, to increase expenditures for school purposes in cost center categories approved by the School Board, increase the allocation of finances in a reserve fund approved by the School Board, and/or decrease the local cost-share expectation, as defined in Title 20-A, section 15671-A(1)(B), for local property taxpayers for funding public education as approved by the School Board. 

3.19 Consideration and action to authorize the Superintendent to implement the FY26 School Department Capital Improvement Plan in the amount of $3,972,000 as detailed in the Superintendent’s memo and FY26 Proposed CIP Expenditure Summary. 

4.0 Audience of Citizens – Topics on the Agenda

Citizens in the audience will be privileged to speak to a topic on the agenda or any educational topic.
Such privilege is to be limited to one presentation per citizen of not more than three minutes.

5.0 Board Comments

6.0 Adjournment

View past Board meeting agendas, recordings, presentation slides, and minutes under Board Activities.