School Superintendent Alan Hawkins has announced an updated schedule of school budget presentations, workshops and hearings that will precede the School Board's final recommendation of 2008-2009 school expenditures to the Town Council.

During the past three months, the Districts Leadership Team of administrators has worked to develop budget information that addresses four levels:

1) a review of the current school budget with a focus on enrollment, curriculum effectiveness, and assessed successes;

2) an assessment of the needs for student education based on input from a variety of sources;

3) development of proposals that will further support current work with students; and

4) requested information for the School Board about student academic, social, and emotional needs to meet educational needs of the 21st Century.

During the next few weeks there will be public meetings held by the School Board to review the superintendent's proposed budget. This process will include questions and discussions by the School Board, discussion and clarification of information by the superintendent, finance director and members of District Leadership Team, and input from the public.

Here is the finalized schedule of these meetings:

Tuesday, February 12 - 7 p.m. Town Hall Chamber

• Regular School Board meeting

• The superintendent will present an overview of the budget.

Thursday, February 14 - 7 p.m. Cape Elizabeth High School Library

• Budget Workshop open to the public.

Tuesday, February 26 - 7 p.m. Cape Elizabeth High School Library

• Budget Workshop open to the public.

Tuesday, March 4 - 7 p.m. Cape Elizabeth High School Library

• Budget Workshop open to the public.

Thursday, March 6 - date held open if another workshop is needed.

Tuesday, March 11 - 7 p.m. Town Hall Chamber

• Possible vote to accept the Cape Elizabeth School Board's Budget.

The superintendent's proposed budget is being completed today and will go onto this web site early next week, Hawkins said.

Once approved, the school budget will be referred to the Finance Committee, a committee of the whole Town Council, for their review. The council will hold a public hearing on the entire 2008-2009 municipal budget proposal - school, town, county and Community Services expenditures, at the May 14 meeting of the Town Council, with the budget adoption vote scheduled for May 27. (Click here for full municipal budget schedule)

Under new Maine legislation, acitizen vote on the adopted school budget is scheduled for Tuesday, June 10.