Sarah Keene of Canton, right, casts a vote on the $12.9 million RSU 56 budget at the Town Office Tuesday. Her daughter Elizabeth, 3, is greeted by Administrative Assistant Tina Cagle. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times
The Regional School Unit 56 budget failed to pass Tuesday for a third time this year by a vote of 424 yes to 479 no.
Results were: Dixfield, 199-181; Carthage, 29-59; Canton, 83-27; and Peru, 113-212.
“Although the failure of the budget is disappointing, I have complete faith in the staff and communities to continue to put students first, Superintendent Pam Doyen said.
“RSU 56 is committed to providing a quality education for our students. The administrative team and school board will begin work on a fourth-round budget,” she said.
The board of directors opted to stay with the $12.9 million proposal rejected in July by a vote of 314-301 in the four towns. It represents a 5% increase over the 2018-19 budget and an average 15.6% increase in town assessments.
The board stuck with the 5% increase because “they felt strongly that moving below the 5% budget-to-budget increase would seriously compromise the integrity of our programs,” Doyen said during a budget hearing last week.
The first budget proposal of $13.27 million in June represented an 8% increase from last year’s budget and an average increase in town assessments of nearly 23%. Voters rejected it 485-343.
During the budget hearing and vote last week some voters questioned how people would be able to afford their homes if the budget keeps rising, while others said the 5% increase was needed to support the schools and give students a good education.
Mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net
Send questions/comments to the editors.
