FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 voters approved a $46.2 million school budget May 26, sending the spending plan to a districtwide validation referendum June 9.

The budget, approved at the district’s annual meeting, would fund schools in Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Superintendent Christian Elkington said about 40 people attended the meeting. Voters approved the meeting warrant articles, including spending for regular instruction, special education, career and technical education, transportation, facilities maintenance, debt service, adult education, the Instruction Technology Reserve Fund and other district operations.

Article 14, the only article requiring a written ballot, passed 38-2, Elkington said. The article authorizes the district to raise and appropriate $3.7 million in additional local funds above the state’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model.

Maine’s Essential Programs and Services funding formula defines the programs and resources students need for an equitable opportunity to meet Maine’s Learning Results and is used to determine the state and local funding shares for each school administrative unit.

According to the meeting agenda, the additional local funds are needed because the state funding model does not fully support costs including athletics and co-curricular programs, rural transportation, special education, system administration, smaller class sizes and student supports such as counseling.

Article 15 set the total authorized budget at $46,229,943 for 2026-27. Voters also approved $723,868 for adult education, including $212,875 as the local share, and authorized the board to transfer up to $100,000 from available fund balances to the Instruction Technology Reserve Fund.

The budget referendum is scheduled for June 9 with polling hours and locations set by each town.