District overview
RSU 83/MSAD 13 (Upper Kennebec Valley)
A two-town district of about 160 students with a new part-time superintendent and a tight budget
Who pays for Bingham and Moscow's schools?
RSU 83/MSAD 13 runs two schools for the towns of Bingham and Moscow: Moscow Elementary (pre-K to grade 4) and Upper Kennebec Valley Memorial Jr/Sr High in Bingham (grades 5-12). It has about 160 students. Maine's school funding formula (Essential Programs and Services) sets a minimum local share for each town and pays the rest as state aid. Voters at a yearly district budget meeting decide whether to raise more local money on top of that.
State aid
About $1.15 million for 2026-27, up from $1.08 million, in the proposed budget.
Required town shares
Bingham $643,718 and Moscow $804,137 under the state formula.
Extra local money
Voters added $1,240,153 above the formula, 34-7, on May 26, 2026.
Savings
The district used $525,000 of carryforward and has cut several full-time jobs over two years.
The increase is small, and the district says the state found its last audit in compliance. Moscow pays more this year mainly because the state raised its required share.
Where the district stands
Context: $4,644,145 divided by about 160 students. Includes tuition, transportation and special education.
Major projects
New superintendent
in_progressSuperintendent Sandra MacArthur retired June 30, 2026. The board hired a three-fifths-time superintendent at $94,000, Bruce Beasley, who also leads special education with a $7,500 stipend. The two principals each get $10,000 as special education coordinators.
- Retirement accepted
- Two candidates interviewed
- Contract approved
- Superintendent Beasley leads committee meetings
Funding
General fund (system administration)
Preschool special education at Moscow
in_progressThe district joined the state's Cohort 3 to serve qualifying 3- to 5-year-olds itself instead of through Child Development Services. A new pre-K and kindergarten bathroom was built with grant money.
- Plan reported
- Board joins Cohort 3
- School year begins with services
Funding
State and grant funding (amount not stated)
Bell-to-bell phone ban
completePolicy JICJ bans student phone and smart watch use all school day, as state law requires. Valley students store phones in assigned lockers.
- Policy committee review
- First reading
- Adopted
Funding
Not stated
Valley field and stage repairs
plannedThe buildings committee found pest damage in the Valley stage ceiling and planned a fix with pest control. It also wants short- and long-term plans for the poor baseball and soccer field. Parking lot paving was put off in April.
- Paving put off
- Stage and field problems reviewed
Funding
Not stated
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Built from the board's posted agendas and minutes (November 2025 to August 2026), the 2026-27 budget book and line-item budget, the phone policy and the 2026-27 student handbooks, all linked from the district website.
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