JEFFERSON — Residents will vote Tuesday on school budget that is down slightly overall but asks for an increase in local funds.

The referendum will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jefferson fire station.

Voters accepted the $5,137,521 budget proposed for kindergarten-through-grade 12 education next year at validation meeting earlier this month.

The overall budget is $91,000 less than this year’s budget, but reduced state funding caused the local contribution to rise by $216,000, or 6.7 percent, according to Robert Westrich, chairman of the School Committee.

That increase carries a tax hike of around $69 per $100,000 of assessed property value, based on last year’s assessment, according to Town Clerk Lynne Barnikow.

The proposed cuts to the budget include the elimination of a part-time guidance counselor and a part-time teacher of gifted and talented students.

Residents at the May 21 validation meeting raised some objections to the proposed budget.

Some advocated increasing the budget to provide funding for a new teacher. Others objected to the decision to eliminate a $4,500 stipend paid to a staff members who perform tasks usually assigned to an athletic director, such as scheduling.

Westrich said the plan is for the principal to pick up some of duties such as scheduling and attending meetings and for the Jefferson Sports Association to pick up other duties.

Paul Koenig — 621-5663
pkoenig@mainetoday.com