Voters in the Madison-based Maine School Administrative District 59 will soon be tasked to vote on a $10.373 million budget at Tuesday’s election.

The total proposal is for $10,373,569, with the big-ticket items including $4,535,082 for instruction, $1,591,169 for special education, $1,382,509 for facilities maintenance, $926,277 for student and support staff, $564,296 for transportation and buses, and $548,996 for school administration.

Bonnie Levesque, superintendent of MSAD 59, said that COVID-19 relief funds received by the district could not be used to supplant the school’s budget.

Overall, the 2021-2022 district budget is down $156,495 from the previous school year’s $10,530,064, which is a decrease to the town of $67,972.

Levesque said that the COVID-19 relief funds were leveraged for several upgrades and purchases throughout the district, which include technology for online learning, upgrades to all bathrooms in the school with motion-sensor technology, replacement of outdated phone systems, construction of four outside classrooms and a gazebo, vans for transportation and hiring additional custodial staff.

“So much thought went into making decisions to keep students and staff safe as well as thinking about the future and how these investments would relieve the burden from the taxpayers in the future,” Levesque said.

The final budget vote will be held Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the 108 Old Point Ave. in Madison.

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