Deer Isle, Stonington school superintendent briefs board on 2026-27 budget
see original on Penobscot Bay Press
Published 2026-04-16T14:09:30-04:00
by Jack Beaudoin
DEER ISLE—Superintendent Tara McKechnie provided the Community School District 13 School board with a 2026-27 budget update at its regular meeting on April 13.
According to McKechnie, a number of recent changes—including eliminating an assistant principal position, reducing the number of hours for music instruction and the schools’ librarian, the addition of new grants and lower-than-anticipated insurance hikes—have helped lower the proposed budget from its “high mark.”
Whereas that earlier version would have increased the impact on the local share of school costs by 23 percent, the latest revision would only raise the local share by about 15 percent. In all, it would raise total expenses by just 2.8 percent over the current year. The bulk of the local impact, she said, “is because we lost $177,000 in state subsidy” for the coming year.
A final version of the budget is likely to emerge in mid-to-late May, and will go up for voter approval in both island towns in June.
McKechnie also nominated Steve Furgeson, founder and principal of AERAS, PLLC, to serve as the school’s new project manager responsible for planning and securing funds for the district’s building improvement plans. The Topsham resident, whose position is funded by a grant, said his firm’s track record in winning awards from Maine’s school revolving loan fund was unmatched, and focused on “priority one” projects including roof replacement, ventilation and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Publication Data
title: Deer Isle, Stonington school superintendent briefs board on 2026-27 budget
date: 2026-04-16T14:09:30-04:00
outlet: Penobscot Bay Press
words: 235