SOMERVILLE — The Regional School Unit 12 budget appeared headed for defeat in Friday’s referendum.

Results from seven of the eight towns in RSU 12 showed a 407-242 rejection of the $26.5 million budget.

Alna and Wiscasset voted in favor of the budget. Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Whitefield and Windsor voted against. Results from Westport Island weren’t available at press time.

The voters also weighed in on a non-binding question about whether the proposed budget was about right, too high or too low, with most finding it too high.

In some towns, voters said the school budget was too high but voted for it anyway.

The towns had differing polling hours, so some results were reported several hours before polls closed in other towns.

The RSU 12 budget went to voters with a projection that the district will lose a small amount of state subsidy as part of a total decrease in revenues of about $275,000.

As a result, the 2.9 percent increase in spending from $25.8 million to $26.5 million translated into a 7.7 percent increase in the assessment on district taxpayers.

Reductions in the budget include 3.75 central office or administrative staff, 10.1 instructional staff, $146,000 in deferred maintenance projects and the institution of a pay-to-participate fee for athletics or co-curricular activities.

Voters saw three questions: The first asked about budget approval, the second about continuing the referendum process for three years, and the third asked for an opinion on whether the budget on the ballot was “about right,” “too high,” or “too low.”

Here are the results by town:

Alna

Question 1: 16 yes; 4 no.

Question 2: 11 yes; 8 no.

Question 3: 5 about right; 7 too high; 7 too low.

Chelsea

Question 1: 27 yes; 95 no.

Question 2: 77 yes; 43 no.

Question 3: 13 about right; 100 too high; 6 too low.

Palermo

Question 1: 9 yes; 39 no.

Question 2: 34 yes; 14 no.

Question 3: 5 about right; 37 too high; 1 too low.

Somerville

Question 1: 12 yes; 60 no.

Question 2: 42 yes; 31 no.

Question 3: 9 about right; 54 too high; 1 too low.

Westport Island: results unavailable late Friday

Whitefield

Question 1: 56 yes; 59 no.

Question 2: 65 yes; 50 no.

Question 3: 29 about right; 57 too high; 24 too low.

Windsor

Question 1: 25 yes; 74 no.

Question 2: 57 yes; 42 no.

Question 3: 10 about right; 74 too high; 9 too low.

Wiscasset

Question 1: 97 yes; 76 no.

Question 2: 105 yes; 65 no.

Question 3: 40 about right; 92 too high; 26 too low.

Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com

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