HAMPDEN, Maine — Voters from the Regional School Unit 22 member towns of Hampden, Newburgh, Winterport and Frankfort gave initial approval to a $30 million spending plan for local education during their annual district budget meeting Thursday in the Hampden Academy gym.
About 60 residents participated in the meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, Superintendent Rick Lyons said Thursday night.
All but two warrant articles passed unanimously, with one “no” vote on those that did not, Lyons said.
With that approval granted, the budget next will go up for validation referendums in each member town on Tuesday, June 14.
As it stands, the $30,081,235 proposed gross budget developed by school officials is up $532,454, or 1.8 percent, from this year’s budget.
Lyons and Assistant Superintendent Emil Genest said earlier that the budget maintains existing programs and will result in no staff layoffs. It also covers the costs of increasing enrollment at the elementary level as well as special needs students.
Genest said the budget also includes about $270,000 to cover salary and benefit increases for staff, including teachers who recently completed contract negotiations with the school board.
Among the items the budget plan does not include are funding for a marketing liaison, which cost about $25,000 this year, a study hall monitor at Hampden Academy and $13,135 for vacant co-curricular posts.
If the budget is validated on Election Day, $10,738,136 will come from local tax dollars, which works out to $301,189, or 2.89 percent, more than this year, according to Genest.
The local share for Hampden would be $6,291,420, an increase of $178,285, or 2.98 percent, from this year, according to a budget overview developed by school administrators.
Newburgh’s local assessment would be $1,055,312, an increase of $41,891, or 4.13 percent, from this year, and Winterport’s portion would work out to $2,578,119, up $68,147, or 2.72 percent. Frankfort’s $813,284 share would reflect an increase of $12,865, or 1.16 percent.
The polls in all four member towns will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 14.