FREEPORT — Regional School Unit 5 officials representing Freeport, Durham and Pownal approved a budget last Wednesday night that will ask for more from each town.
In total, the spending plan approved in a 7-3 board vote represents a 2.3 percent — or $557,532 — increase over last year, coming in at $24,970,682.
For Freeport, the proposal would mean a 2.6 percent — or $345,008 — jump in the local contribution to RSU 5. Last year, Freeport paid around $13.3 million and is asked to pay $13.6 million in the proposal passed by the school board Tuesday.
For Pownal, the proposal would mean a nearly 5.4 percent — or $89,311 — jump in the local contribution to RSU 5. Last year, Pownal paid around $1.66 million and is asked to pay around $1.75 million this year.
For Durham, the proposal would mean a 7.7 percent — or $161,832 — jump in the local contribution to RSU 5. Last year, Durham paid around $3.1 million and is asked to pay around $3.3 million this year.
RSU 5 officials anticipated a lower impact on Durham with the use of reserve school funds held over from before the formation of RSU 5 three years ago, but on Tuesday the town’s Board of Selectmen voted to use less of that money this year.
Durham selectmen have $166,070 remaining in that account. Kelly Wentworth, RSU 5’s finance director, said Durham will use only half of that balance in this year’s budget.
Both Freeport and Pownal have used all of those reserve funds from before the formation of the RSU.
The budget will now go to the voters for approval in each town in a June 12 referendum vote. Prior to that meeting, the RSU 5 board held its annual budget meeting at the Freeport High School gym at 6:30 p.m. on May 23.
On Wednesday, with board member John Ricker absent, Jane Blais, Kathryn Brown and Eric Dube voted against the proposed budget.
dfishell@timesrecord.com
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