VEAZIE, Maine — Residents voted 166 to 113 on Tuesday in favor of adopting a $4.15 million school budget during their second validation referendum, the superintendent of schools said Wednesday.
While the gross budget is down $36,755 from last year, the local share for education of the town’s students is up $114,558, Superintendent Rick Lyons said. He said that a factor in the increased local cost was the loss of about $150,000 in state subsidy.
The new education budget reflects the loss of two staff positions, Lyons said, noting that the positions were eliminated through attrition.
The budget that was approved this week represented a compromise between school officials and town councilors, who clashed several times over the spring over councilors’ desire to hold the local share at last year’s level and school officials’ contention that doing so would hurt the quality of education at Veazie Community School.
Residents rejected a $4.1 million school budget in June, forcing the school board and Town Council to compromise, and the two panels came up with a new $4.15 draft budget that went before voters on Tuesday.
Town Council Chairwoman Tammy Perry projected last month that the new budget will result in a tax increase of about 40 cents per $1,000 in property value. The town’s current tax rate is $17.75 per $1,000.