District overview
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
Regional School Unit 1 runs the public schools for Bath, Arrowsic, Phippsburg and Woolwich: Dike-Newell, Fisher-Mitchell, Phippsburg Elementary, Woolwich Central, Bath Middle, Morse High and the Bath Regional Career & Technical Center. A seven-member Board of Directors, with members from the towns and at-large seats, writes the budget and hires Superintendent Patrick Manuel. Voters then approve the budget twice: first at an open district budget meeting and then in a validation referendum. Most money comes from state aid and from assessments on the four towns, which are split using Maine's Essential Programs and Services formula and property values.
Voters approved $47,700,907 on May 26 and June 9, 2026, after adding $43,390 at the budget meeting to keep the Phippsburg Elementary nurse full time.
The 2026-27 assessments are Bath $8.35 million, Woolwich $3.60 million, Phippsburg $2.85 million and Arrowsic $0.54 million. Bath's and Woolwich's shares rose most because their property values rose.
The general fund balance was $4.15 million in June 2025 and $2.57 million in June 2026. Unassigned money is about 0.6% of yearly spending.
The board hired Lavallee Brensinger in January 2026 to design a replacement for Dike-Newell School. A site decision is expected in late 2026 and a referendum in June 2027.
Down $1,580,716 from June 2025
A state-approved project to build a new elementary school in Bath. Lavallee Brensinger is the architect. In August 2026 the land behind Bath Middle School was dropped, and the former Dike-Newell site on Wright Drive and one other site are still being studied. Phippsburg could choose to join the new school.
State major capital program plus possible local share, subject to a referendum
The budget cut the Phippsburg Elementary nurse to part time. Voters added $43,390 to restore the job, but on June 24 the board voted 5-1 to keep it at 60% and to track student visits each month. The board will revisit the decision in January 2027.
Added by voters at the May 26, 2026 budget meeting
City of Bath
Bath voters will fill one RSU 1 board seat on November 3, 2026 at the municipal polls. Melissa Martin, appointed to the seat in October 2026, is the only candidate.
Official source · verified Oct 29, 2026
Town of Woolwich
Woolwich voters will choose between incumbent Jennifer Ritch-Smith and former board vice chair Jamie Dorr for one RSU 1 board seat on November 3, 2026 at the municipal polls.
Official source · verified Oct 29, 2026
All posted board and committee agendas and minutes from November 2025 through October 2026 (board, Finance, Facilities and Policy committees), YouTube recordings of board meetings (machine transcripts), the FY27 proposed and approved budgets, the FY25 audit and financial overview, the FY26 financial statements, the ten-year capital plan and the cell phone policies, all from rsu1.org and its public Google Drive folders.
We read every agenda, packet, recording, and set of minutes, and write up the decisions that affect families — each one linked to the document it came from.
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