RANGELEY –  School Board directors got their first glimpse of the budget for 2015-16, a draft presented by Superintendent Susan Pratt outlining  a 6.5 percent increase in spending.

According to Pratt, the Maine Department of Education  considers Rangeley a minimal receiving school district, entitled to only one component of state financial services for Special Education.

“We are one of only two K­-12 schools in Maine, and the state model doesn’t really fit us,” Pratt said, in terms of General Aid to Education funding.

She added that funding information will be announced by the state in early March, so the district does not yet know what its funding allocation will be.

The proposed budget includes a few large changes, including $43,125 additional spending to meet a 10 percent health insurance increase; a $21,668 for portable classroom lease payment; a $129,860 energy efficiency project payment; and $18,700 payment for a new school bus.

The total budget increase, including all changes, is $226,188, or 6.465 percent, for a total of $3,724,992.

Board Chair Nancy Hilliard urged all to support the boys and girls high school basketball teams which are in the state playoffs.

According to Pratt, the middle school girls and boys teams are league champions. She noted that, like all schools in the state, Rangeley has had a crazy time working schedules around the recent storms, but said Rangeley School has taken only four whole snow days, fewer than other schools in the area.

Principal Charles Brown reported that K­-5 students are holding a Jump Rope for Heart event Friday, which is ahead of the middle and high school Hoops for Heart event scheduled for March.

Brown mentioned that he believed the ski team to be a jovial, happy bunch of kids. “They have been focusing on individual achievement, and having a blast,” he said, noting he has been very impressed by the turnout and support from the community for the whole year.

The Facilities Committee has reviewed the spending plan for re-surfacing the campus road, and is reviewing architectural plans for consideration at the next meeting.

The Policy Committee had readied three new policies for first reading, and the Evaluation Committee recommended an extended Board retreat for in­-depth discussion of several topics.

Kindergarten teacher Michelle Laliberte presented an overview of her current work toward a master’s degree at the University of Maine at Farmington; her capstone project concerns children’s ability to self­regulate, and the importance of free play in a kindergarten setting. She thanked the board for supporting her during the 4-year degree project.

Brown and Pratt presented performance data for students K through 8 and for grades 9 and 10 as reported by NWEA, MEA, SAT and NECAP tests. They agreed that the data calls for preparing students for the transition from middle to high school, for focus on reading in both English class and other content areas, and for more emphasis on higher level math and science.