Support the FY2027 Yarmouth school budget
Your support matters:
June 2 Town Meeting @ YPAC @ 7:00
June 9 Public Vote @ YHS
Yarmouth schools set the standard for excellence in Maine. The proposed 2027 barely maintains this tradition of excellence. It has already been cut to the bone.
It is lean. It is responsible. Please support it.
This year’s proposed budget is responsible and lean.
Yarmouth’s overall budget increase is the lowest among our peers:
Further, many of our peer towns still need to take on building improvements that we have already baked in/absorbed (since we issued the relevant bonds years ago).
The school budget is already lean. Our per-pupil expenditure in FY24 (the most recent year of complete data) was less than the average of comparable school districts in Southern Maine.
Yarmouth’s system administration (Superintendent, School Committee, and Business Office) represents 2.9% of the overall budget – extraordinarily low.
The FY2027 school budget is $350,000 below the roll-forward level. This budget already includes cuts
This is a not-even-maintenance budget. There are no frills in this budget. No new programs.
If anything, the Yarmouth school budget is too lean – too low – threatening the quality of our schools.
YHS is shrinking it’s staff by 1 FTE – despite falling behind its peers in AP course offerings.
Every Yarmouth school is cutting supplies and materials.
Advanced students are being pushed into COVID-era online classes for lack of teachers.
Several programs have outgrown their staffing (e.g. STEM) to the point where students feel frustrated and are underserved.
Consider the bigger picture.
Costs are rising across all sectors of the U.S. economy, driving up costs for schools.
Per pupil costs for the Town have essentially matched inflation. Since 2013, the Town’s pre-pupil cost has gone up 39.8%, while inflation (per the Department of Labor CPI) has been 38.2%
“But my personal taxes went up from the revaluation.”
The budget process is separate from the property tax revaluation process (which result in higher valuations and a correspondingly lower mill rate; i.e. a net wash in the aggregate).
The revaluation redistributed tax valuations around town, somewhat away from commercial properties.
Individual property assessments changes from the revaluation are not driven by the budget, which remains lean, responsible, and restrained.
More reasons to support the budget:
It sustains a strong community for all of us:
Yarmouth is a wonderful place to live and work because of our schools and the quality of its graduates, many of whom choose to remain or return here.
New residents come here because of our reputation.
Our schools bind us together. Strong schools = strong sense of community = strong Yarmouth.
Schools sustain property values. If our schools fail, our property values will drop.
I.e. We all benefit from strong schools.
It says “yes” to the future:
Despite the critical need for this budget, a handful of opponents have organized a “no” campaign.
A no vote or any effort to chip away at this budget would be awful for Yarmouth – for its kids, its residents, and its reputation.
A “yes” vote will reinforce our collective commitment – and solidify our reputation as a leader in Maine.
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Ready to take the next step? You can become a contributor to our cause, or participate yourself.