District overview

Lincolnville Public Schools

Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.

Who pays for Lincolnville Central School?

One Pre-K to 8 school, mostly paid for by local property taxes

Lincolnville Public Schools runs one school, Lincolnville Central School (Pre-K to grade 8, about 200 students). High school students go to Camden Hills Regional High School through the separate Five Town CSD. The school shares a superintendent and central office with Appleton and Hope in School Union 69. Its five-member School Committee is elected by Lincolnville voters, writes the budget, and sends it to town voters to approve. Under Maine's school funding formula, the town pays a required local share plus any extra it chooses to raise, and state subsidy covers the rest. For FY27, local taxpayers carry about 88% of the budget.

Budget

FY27 budget of $5,276,715, down 0.98% from $5,328,708 (April 6, 2026 packet).

State aid fell

State EPS subsidy drops from $1,119,259 to $646,467 in FY27, so the local share rises about 10% to $4,630,249.

Who decides

Five elected School Committee members on staggered three-year terms; the town votes on the budget at town meeting and a validation vote.

Shared leadership

Superintendent Shawn Carlson serves Appleton, Hope and Lincolnville through School Union 69; Justin Bennett is principal.

Most committee business in the year passed unanimously, and the FY27 budget actually spends slightly less than FY26. The tax increase comes mainly from lost state subsidy, not new spending.

Where the district stands

FY27 school budget adopted April 6, 2026verified

5,276,715 USD

FY27 local taxpayer share (up about 10%)verified

4,630,249 USD

FY27 state EPS subsidy (down from $1,119,259)verified

646,467 USD

Approximate FY27 budget per student (about 200 students)context

26,400 USD

Context: $5,276,715 divided by the roughly 200 students in the facilities plan. Covers the whole school budget, including transportation, special education and debt service.

Major projects

Roof replacement, Pre-K to grade 5 wing

unfunded, being planned

A roofer estimated $150,000-$200,000 and gave the shingled roof 3-5 more years. The old facilities reserve was spent on the FY22-23 building project.

Next: Facilities subcommittee recommendation before FY28 budget work begins (winter 2026-27).

Apr 6, 2026Principal reports roof estimate and 3-5 year life
Sep 8, 2026Committee asks facilities subcommittee for a reserve recommendation before budget season

Funding

Not yet funded; facilities subcommittee asked to recommend a reserve plan

Catching up on town and school audits

in progress

A preliminary FY23 audit showed overspending. The town and school are hiring RHR Smith for FY24 and later audits.

Next: Final FY23 audit and the superintendent's plan to cover the deficit.

Jan 5, 2026Preliminary FY23 audit shows the budget was overspent
Mar 2, 2026Superintendent: about three years of audits to catch up
May 4, 2026RHR Smith to take over auditing from FY24
Oct 5, 2026Auditor's report listed for a future agenda 'if completed'

Funding

FY27 auditor fees line (budgeted for two audits)

Technology use review

starting

The committee plans an ad hoc subcommittee to report on how technology is used at LCS and make recommendations.

Next: Subcommittee report to the School Committee (date not set).

Sep 8, 2026Committee agrees to charge an ad hoc committee
Oct 5, 2026Charge and members on the agenda

Funding

None needed yet

Built from Lincolnville School Committee agendas, meeting packets and approved minutes (November 2025 to October 2026) posted in the School Union 69 document library at union.fivetowns.net.

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