District overview
MSAD 44 (RSU 44)
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
Who pays for MSAD 44's schools?
MSAD 44 runs four schools around Bethel in western Maine: Crescent Park School and Woodstock School (elementary), and Telstar Middle and High School. Voters approve the budget each spring at a district budget meeting, then confirm it at a June referendum. Most of the money is raised locally: for FY27 the towns pay about $13.4 million of an $18.5 million budget, with the state funding formula deciding each town's share.
$18.5 million budget
FY27 general fund of $18,543,979, up 5.3%. About 91% is salaries, benefits and other fixed costs.
Each town pays differently
For FY27: Newry +10%, Bethel +6.3%, Greenwood +4.8%, and Woodstock 1.4% less.
Above the state minimum
Voters approved $5,887,545 in local money above what Maine's formula requires.
Small state aid change
State aid rose only about $53,700 for FY27.
The budget cut no positions, health insurance rose only about 5%, and special education costs grew about $56,000 after two years of much larger increases.
Where the district stands
Sum of reported school counts: Crescent Park 250, Woodstock 66, Telstar Middle 158, Telstar High 173 (December 8, 2025 meeting).
Major projects
Bell-to-bell phone ban
policy adoptedMaine law now bans student phones for the whole school day. MSAD 44 adopted its policy in June and ordered phone lockers.
- First reading
- Policy adopted
Funding
District budget (phone lockers)
K-12 screen-time procedure
draftingBoard goal: set age-appropriate screen-time and device limits for every grade by June 30, 2027.
- Goal adopted
- Draft sent to department heads
Funding
None needed
Energy and capital plan
planningBoilers in all three buildings need replacing, plus plumbing, paving and heating controls. The district does not qualify for state new-school money and hired an energy services company to plan the work.
- Energy services company chosen; capital line raised to $300,000
- Facilities committee working with capital planner
Funding
FY27 capital line
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Eleven board meeting and budget meeting recordings (December 2025-October 2026) from Western Hills Access Television, the local community access station, read from YouTube auto-generated captions. The district website blocks our collector, so written agendas, minutes and budget documents were not collected.
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