RUMFORD — Residents of Regional School Unit 10 overwhelmingly approved a 2015-16 operating budget of $36.71 million Wednesday night as wind and rain pounded on the roof of the Mountain Valley High School auditorium. The secret-ballot vote was 67-3.
Few questions were asked of Superintendent Craig King. Most of those were related to the amount of local money raised above the required amount for the state’s Essential Programs and Services allocation, which was $4.4 million.
King said the additional local money goes toward retaining a low teacher-to-student ratio, special education, extracurricular and cocurricular activities and transportation.
The budget will go before voters Tuesday, June 9, at polling stations in the 12 district towns. Residents will vote “yes” or “no” on the $36.71 million figure.
The assessment for each town is based 75 percent on the town’s valuation and 25 percent on the number of students.
Hanover’s school tax will rise about $800, while Roxbury’s will go up about $26,000, largely because of the extra valuation from a recently constructed wind turbine project. Rumford, Mexico, Byron, Canton, Carthage, Peru, Dixfield, Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner will have lower assessments than this fiscal year.
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