FARMINGTON — A proposed $35.5 million budget for Regional School Unit 9 will go to a districtwide budget meeting vote at 7 p.m. Monday at the Mt. Blue Campus on Seamon Road.

The amount approved by voters there will go to a validation referendum May 15, at polling stations in Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.

The budget proposal for 2018-19 reflects an increase of $1.91 million, or 5.68 percent, from this fiscal year’s. The spending plan covers education for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and adult education.

District taxpayers would be responsible for raising $13.48 million, a $792,890 increase from this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

According to a district budget pamphlet, the per-pupil cost is lower than that of any school district in the area and is listed at 177th in the state.

The proposal includes $461,403 for a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade alternative education program to be known as a Pathway for All Learners. The goal of the program is to allow behaviorally challenged students to develop the behavioral and social readiness skills to participate fully eventually in general education classrooms, according to the budget pamphlet.

The program originated from the concerns of parents, school staff members and students that many general education students are not able to benefit from their own classroom educational opportunities because of the behavior of some students.

The proposed budget also includes $288,000 of the $470,000 donation Richard Bjorn, owner of Kyes Insurance in Farmington, made in January to increase Foster Career and Technical Education offerings. Those include increasing the composite manufacturing program to full time, beginning a pre-engineering program, introducing tech-program exploration to grade eight, and paying for a modular classroom at the Mt. Blue Middle School. The donation is to be spread over two years.

Other additions to the budget include:

• A half-time nursing position.

• A third-grade teacher at Cascade Brook School.

• An elementary teacher formerly paid through a federal grant at Cape Cod Hill School in New Sharon.

• A half-time American Sign Language teacher and half-time science teacher to make a full-time positions at Mt. Blue High School.

• An accountant.

• Books for school libraries.

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