Nearly 78 percent of Augusta voters approved a $29.6 million school budget Tuesday that includes $12.7 million from local taxes, the same local contribution as last year.

Voters also elected to continue the budget validation voting process, with 803 people supporting the ballot questions and 284 opposing. The school budget passed with 765 in favor and 207 against.

Peggy Pratt studies a question at the polls on Tuesday in Winthrop, where voters considered the school budget and a City Council race, among other things. Staff photo by Andy Molloy

City Manager William Bridgeo recommended $12.4 million from local taxes, but the board chose the higher figure that was ultimately approved. The budget doesn’t cut any school programs.

Spending in the budget is up 6.4 percent, or nearly $1.8 million, over the current year’s budget, but it isn’t expected to require a tax increase because of the use of $3.4 million from an account built up with money budgeted but not spent in recent years.

According to district records, the Augusta School Department had about $5.5 million in its fund balance as of February.

School Administrative District 11

Gardiner, Pittston, Randolph and West Gardiner

Gardiner-area voters approved the $23.9 million school budget during Tuesday’s election. The budget, which reflects nearly a 5 percent increase over the current year, includes $12.7 million from state subsidy.

Voters approved the local share of nearly $9.6 million, divided among the district’s four municipalities. The budget also adds an additional appropriation of $2,403,429.38 in local funds, which is nearly $1.7 million more than the state’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model.

Gardiner voted 434-163 in favor of the budget and 427-160 for the budget validation process.

In Randolph, 128 voters supported the budget with 38 opposed. A total of 118 votes were cast in favor of the budget referendum process with 47 against.

In Pittston, 173 people voted to approve the budget and 63 voted against. Also, 162 people voted in favor of the budget referendum process and 71 voted against.

West Gardiner saw 234 vote in favor of the budget and 120 against, and 262 people voted for the referendum process with 84 against.

The budget, which was first approved by voters at the end of May, adds girls volleyball as a varsity sport and maintains the district’s music program. It also adds nine and a half positions, including a full-time social worker, a position that was cut several years ago, to address students from families tangled up in the state’s opioid crisis. Additional instructional positions include math and science teachers and staff for a behavioral program.

According to District Superintendent Patricia Hopkins, the transportation budget increased due to the purchase of a handicapped-accessible bus.

Regional School Unit 38

Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield and Wayne

Voters from Manchester and Readfield have overwhelmingly supported the $16.5 million budget, voting 702-279. Results from Mount Vernon and Wayne are not yet available.

The budget represents an increase of 3.26 percent over the current year. Salaries comprise about 62.2 percent of the budget.

Most of the increase comes from repairs to the roofs on Manchester and Readfield elementary schools. The budget contained no new initiatives.

In Readfield, 385 people voted in favor of the budget and 206 voted against; 394 voted for the referendum process and 186 voted against.

In Manchester, 317 voters approved the budget and 73 voted against; 278 people voted in favor of the referendum process and 158 voted against.

The original budget was nearly $17 million, but the school board cut close to $400,000 in repair and maintenance projects, among other things, and did not add archery, robotics and volleyball to the middle school after-school program.

The district is spending about $7 million on regular instruction and nearly $2.2 million for special education. The state’s subsidy has been reduced by $292,000.

The budget has never been voted down.

Regional School Unit 2

Hallowell, Farmingdale, Dresden, Monmouth and Richmond

With just two towns outstanding, the RSU 2 school budget is close to being approved. Results from Dresden and Richmond have not yet come in, but 848 voters from Hallowell, Farmingdale and Monmouth have approved the budget, while 338 people voted against the $26.52 million plan.

The budget includes about $10.7 million for regular instruction and about $4.6 million for special education. The state has cut more than $180,000 in funding for the coming year because of enrollment.

During the budget hearing earlier this month, several voters expressed concern over the proposed reshuffling of classes and teachers at Marcia Buker Elementary School in Richmond, which would save the district nearly $70,000. The budget was amended to include that $70,000, though the school board is not bound to spend that money in Richmond or at all.

Hallowell saw 322 voters approve the budget, while 144 voted against; 420 people voted to keep the referendum process and 62 voted against.

In Monmouth, 316 votes were cast in favor of the budget, and 141 votes went against. In addition, 322 people voted for the referendum process and 1,221 voted against.

Farmingdale voted 210-53 in favor of the budget and 188-72 for keeping the budget referendum process.

Superintendent Bill Zima, who took over last year after Virgel Hammonds left the district, said creating a school budget amid continuing funding cuts and the possibility of having to raise taxes caused him several sleepless nights. He said it is hard to increase the education and instruction level while decreasing the cost.

The district is working on making each facility more energy-efficient and has reduced instructional and administrative positions as a way to cut costs.

Results from the Winthrop School District and Litchfield, a part of RSU 4 have yet to be released.

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