OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The Regional School Unit 23 school budget, covering only the Town of Old Orchard Beach, failed by a slim margin Tuesday.
Residents voted 490-514 against the $12.5 million school budget, which would have been the budget for the first year the town is the only municipality in RSU 23.
The budget, if passed, would have meant a $1.20 increase on the mil rate, according to Old Orchard Beach Finance Director Diana Asanza.
“It’s a disappointing result for Old Orchard Beach schools, but it is what it is,” said RSU 23 School Board Chairman Gary Curtis, in an email response to the results.
Curtis said school officials will meet to refine the budget, keeping any reductions as far away from the students in the classroom as possible.
“Our efforts to explain the budget will also have to be fine tuned to help folks understand more clearly how we got to where we are. Our efforts fell short,” said Curtis.
After a new school budget is proposed, it will go before residents for a vote at a budget meeting, and then for a final vote at a referendum.
The budget that was just voted down will be in effect for the upcoming fiscal year until a new budget proposal is adopted at a regional budget meeting, per state statute, according to Curtis.
RSU 57
In Regional School Unit 57, the budget passed a final validation vote, 1,500 to 1,068.
Voters gave their initial approval to the $37.6 million budget in a Town Meeting-style vote on May 20. Six towns make up RSU 57: Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh and Waterboro.
In addition to the budget validation vote, one seat on the school board was contested, for a Waterboro representative. Jen Mayo won the seat with 196 votes in a three-way race. Jason Pooler had 165 votes and Nanette Walton had 148.
SACO
The new school district’s inaugural budget passed overwhelmingly.
On Tuesday, residents voted 889-256 to pass the nearly $33 million budget to begin Saco’s first year out of Regional School Unit 23, which will begin July 1.
The budget will not impact the tax rate at all. On Monday, the city council approved a budget that will increase the mil rate by 4 cents.
BIDDEFORD
On Tuesday, residents approved the Biddeford school budget in a validation referendum, 947-707.
The K-12 education budget for fiscal year 2014 is $33.6 million.
Twelve and half percent of registered voters, 1,695 people, voted in the primary election on Tuesday, according to the town clerk’s office.
SANFORD
Voters in the city validated the $35.1 million school budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The budget was approved earlier by the city council and school committee. The school budget was approved 1,079 to 618, according to unofficial results.
Voters Tuesday also approved a $1.5 million bond issue, to be paid over 10 years, to make improvements at city schools.
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