OAKLAND -- This evening, directors of the Messalonskee School board will decide whether to approve a $25.6 million budget that, nearly identical in size to last year's, would require cutting as many as 15 positions.

The first five positions, all teaching jobs, have already been cut through attrition, as teachers resigned or retired. But the board decided the budget needed to be cut further, and authorized school Superintendent James Morse to find ways to cut another $200,000. To accomplish this, he intends to present 10 more positions for deletion, none of which is a teaching job; instead they come from transportation, the grounds crew, food service, educational technology and administration, Morse said.

"Essentially, the district has had to cannibalize itself to pay for fuel and electrical costs," he said.

Morse said expenses have gone up due to cost of living increases and fuel prices, but a revaluation of property further hurt the district's position.

The board will take up the matter at 6 p.m. tonight at Messalonskee High School in rooms 212-216.

The district will receive $12.7 million in state dollars for fiscal year 2008-2009, a 1 percent increase from last year, according to Department of Education spokesman David Connerty-Marin. This is a much smaller increase than the 3.9- and 4.9-percent increases the district had seen in the past few years, according to the school district's business manager, Constance Packard.

"It's going to be a tough budget to live with," she said.

But while school districts across the Maine are struggling with limited funding contributions from the state, Messalonskee is one of the more fortunate districts, Connerty-Marin said.

"It's a 1 percent increase," he said. "Which, obviously, is not enough to keep up with inflation, but they are doing better than other districts in the state, where roughly half of them are getting less than they did last year."

Connerty-Marin said a statewide revaluation determined that the value of taxable properties in Sidney and Belgrade had gone up dramatically.

The state's funding formula for education requires school districts with higher property valuations to lean more heavily on local taxpayers.

Officials from Sidney and Belgrade said they realize the state is in a difficult position financially, with a nearly $200 million shortfall in its two-year budget.

This does not change the fact that it increases the burden on local taxpayers and could harm education across the state, Sidney Selectman Doug Eugley said.

"I don't see how you can decrease your transportation costs by 5 percent, when we're all seeing increases in fuel costs," he said. "I don't see how you can cut maintenance costs and expect to see a long-term savings."

The state's haste in cutting education may sour people to the whole concept of consolidation, Belgrade Town Manager Dennis Keschl said.

"People in town, I believe, are angry about the consolidation process where, if we don't have enough time for the (public) education process, they could vote down a potentially good thing," he said.

Morse said the school board has been conscientious in its attempts to avoid damaging the district's education program. The teaching positions that were cut were in programs that had shown low attendance. This may be small consolation to the 10 people who have been notified in the past few days that their jobs are in jeopardy, however.

"They're good people, and, if not for the loss of revenue, they would all have their jobs," Morse said.

Joel Elliott -- 861-9252

jelliott@centralmaine.com