Colbry to Make Cuts Hurt, Unlikely to Cut Administrative Costs

MILLINOCKET -- In response to a request by the Millinocket town council, Millinocket School Superintendent Brent Colbry is expected to demonstrate the impact of 10%, 15%, or 20% cuts in the school budget on the community.

He is not expected to recommend a cut in administrative salaries. Currently the costs of the four administrative offices is in excess of a half a million dollars in salaries alone. Colbry’s salary is $74,845 per year, plus expenses. The Millinocket school department operates out of only two school buildings, yet employs a superintendent and four principals.

Rather than proposing cuts in his own, or any other administrative costs, Colbry suggests that programs, services, and people most likely to be impacted are books, supplies, equipment, travel, spring extracurricular activities, and hourly personnel.

At Granite Street School, expenses for the Principal’s office is $84,689, $57,070 of that in the principal’s salary alone. The budget calls for $26,128 to be spent on books.

At Millinocket Middle School, housed at the same campus as Stearn’s High School, the budget for the Principal’s office is $94,735, $60,625 in the principal’s salary alone. The school has a budget of only $8,470 on books.

Stearns High School has two principals, whose combined salaries equal $108,399, and whose offices alone are budgeted for $145,851. The school has a budget of $18,233 for books.

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Mr. Colbry’s office operates at a cost to the  taxpayers a of at least $179,854, with $74,845 of that going back home to Lincoln with Mr. Colbry.

Superintendent Colbry will be making his budget recommendations to the Council at its February 27th meeting.

Editor’s Note: With more than a half million in budgeted funds going to non-essential administrative personnel, I sincerely hope that we can anticipate substantial cuts in these offices.

-- Ken Anderson 02/18/03