A handful of voters in School Administrative District 75 approved a $34.7 million 2013-14 school budget Tuesday.

Steve Dyer, the business manager for SAD 75, said the budget passed handily, 575-162.

But out of about 15,900 registered voters in the district towns of Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell and Topsham, only 737 voted, Dyer said — a paltry 4.6 percent turnout.

District voters also decided by a 491-236 vote they want to continue voting by budget validation referendum for the next three years.

The $34,721,139 budget adopted by district voters is 4.4 percent higher than the district’s current budget and will increase the total local dollars paid to schools by the four district towns by $773,308.

According to data presented by school officials, the budget would spur an annual property tax increase for a home assessed at $150,000 of $79.25 in Bowdoin and $14.63 in Bowdoinham.

Owners of a home in Harpswell valued at $404,500 would see a tax increase of $55.16; and taxes on a $184,200 Topsham property would rise by $77.51.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

¦ SCHOOL BUDGET

The unofficial voting results on approval of the school budget are as follows:

¦ BUDGET VALIDATION

Unofficial results of the vote to continue budget validation referendum voting in SAD 75:

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