Scarborough voters may be voting on a revised school budget May 25.

School officials are targeting that date for a second budget validation referendum in the wake of voters’ rejection of a $34.4 million budget Tuesday.

The Board of Education will meet at 3:30 p.m. Monday to discuss adjustments to the budget, according to Chairman Brian Dell’Olio. The plan is to then submit the revised budget to the Town Council for its approval Wednesday and hold the validation vote May 25.

Dell’Olio said the board does not already have a revised budget proposal in place.

11:51 p.m., May 11

Scarborough voters sent a message to their elected officials on Tuesday: Put more money into the town’s schools.

In a school budget validation vote, they rejected a proposed $34.4 million budget that called for eliminating 31 full-time positions in the coming school years. Voters also said they thought the budget was too low.

Town Clerk Yolande Justice released unofficial results late Tuesday that showed the 2010-11 budget proposal was defeated by 10 votes. The final tally was 493 against and 483 in favor.

In a separate ballot question, voters were asked to decide whether they felt the proposal was too high or too low. Justice said 490 voters said the budget was too low; 387 voters felt it was too high.

“The vote doesn’t surprise me, because there were so many parents opposed to the budget that the Town Council passed,” said Jacquelyn Perry, a member of the Board of Education.

Perry said many parents were upset with the proposed staff reductions. Perry said those reductions would have included teachers as well as other school department staff members.

Perry said the board’s Finance Committee will have to develop a new budget for the council to consider.

Another school validation vote will have to be scheduled.

 

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com