GARDINER — Residents passed Maine School Administration District 11’s proposed $32.9 million budget as presented at Tuesday night’s regional budget meeting.

The approved budget is just over a 1% increase from the current year’s school budget. The approved budget will go to voters in the district’s municipalities for a referendum vote on June 10.

The school board and school officials cut the original version of the proposed spending plan by $2.3 million to minimize the effect on taxpayers. Included in those cuts were six teaching positions, five education technicians, school supplies, sport uniform upgrades, and several gymnasium and school repairs, among other items.

Superintendent Patricia Hopkins said the $32,852,000 budget represents a responsible and responsive approach to current financial conditions and enrollment trends.

“Due to a continued decline in student enrollment and an increase in state valuations, the district faced a considerable reduction in state subsidy. In response, the approved budget includes the elimination of several positions to align staffing with enrollment and support long-term fiscal sustainability. No new positions were added, except for a part-time custodial role needed to maintain the cleanliness and functionality of the central office,” Hopkins said.

Christina Hobbs, a West Gardiner resident, said budget cuts affect her son and attempted to add an in-person speech specialist back into the special education portion of the budget at $75,000, but her attempt failed to gain support from voters.

Hobbs advocated on behalf of her son, who is working with the speech specialist remotely, she said. Eight other parents have children in a similar situation.

“I have been fighting for him to have (the teacher) in-person because remote does not work for him,” she said. “He has regressed. In-person is much better and more hands-on. Our kids deserve more than a check box.”

She was the only person to speak at the regional budget meeting and attendance was slim, with around 30 residents from Gardiner, West Gardiner, Pittston and Randolph, most of whom were elected officials for the municipalities.

The total share of the budget split between the four MSAD 11 municipalities is a 4.3% increase over the current year’s budget for a total of $14,025,981.

• Gardiner will pay $5,119,991, an increase of $182,999.

• Pittston will pay $3,078,190, an increase of $114,795.

• Randolph will pay $1,274,298, an increase of $31,190.

• West Gardiner will pay $4,553,501, an increase of $254,234.

“This budget reflects the board’s ongoing commitment to providing a high-quality educational experience for all students, while also honoring our financial responsibilities to the communities we serve,” Hopkins said. 

In addition to the school budget, the district voted to appropriate $252,000 and raise $105,450 for Kennebec Neighbors Adult Education; and to allocate $400,000 and $50,000 in available fund balance to a special education reserve and a capital reserve fund, respectively.