FREEPORT

Residents of Durham, Pownal and Freeport approved nearly $30 million in spending for Regional School Unit 5 on Wednesday.

The total expenditure for the RSU now stands at $29.4 million, after residents approved amendments for $150,000 in additional spending.

More than $23 million will be paid for through local taxes, with Freeport fronting more than half that cost.

Residents voted 161-22 to raise and appropriate $7.4 million in local funds to allow the RSU to exceed the state’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $6.97 million as required to fund the spending proposal.

The gymnasium at Freeport High School had a lot of empty chairs during the town meeting-style gathering that saw the passage of 23 warrant articles. However, residents of the three towns will get another final say at the ballot box on June 9 in a referendum to validate the spending proposal approved Wednesday.

Residents approved Freeport resident John Egan’s amendment to add $80,000 in discretionary spending for regular instruction.

“The high school is about to undergo an enormous transformation with requirements to go to a proficiency-based diploma,” said Egan, citing the need to support and properly compensate teachers during the transition.

Freeport Middle School teacher Kelly Fitz-Randolph said staff needs to be compensated for the extra time they put in to their jobs, saying: “If a kid throws up in the hallway, our principal has to clean it up, because we don’t have a custodian.”

Some opponents referred back to

the sizable increase of the spending plan as originally proposed by the RSU board.

“A 7.2 percent (hike) is still a very healthy increase, and much higher than our surrounding towns,” said Durham resident Kevin Nadeau. “We have to, at some point, have a little bit of discipline in the process.”

Other opponents called for a more business-like approach to spending.

“I too have a wish list of things at my hotel, but I can’t go to my investors and my owners with everything on my wish list,” said Jason Greene of Durham. “We need to show some restraint.”

Size of increase

Responding to criticism of the size of the spending increase, RSU Board Chairman Nelson Larkins said additional reductions would result in cuts to staff and programming.

“We’re not overspending on a lot of things,” said Larkins. “We really are counting pencils and sheets of paper.”

Concern over the number of first-grade students per classroom at Morse Street School led parent Shana Jacques of Freeport to call for another amendment providing $70,000 to pay the salary and benefits for an additional teacher.

As envisioned in the original proposed budget, four first-grade teachers at Morse Street would instruct classes of 20-21 students. Supporters argued that students, especially in that age group, need additional teacher attention that can’t be provided in larger classes.

“They’re 6, and they need to be supported,” Jacques said in an interview after her amendment was approved.

jswinconeck@timesrecord.com

The total is …

THE TOTAL expenditure for RSU 5 now stands at $29.4 million. More than $23 million will be paid for through local taxes, with Freeport fronting more than half that cost.