Westport Voters Reject RSU 12 Budget – Other School Budgets Pass

With only Westport Island showing a close rejection, voters throughout the eight towns in the Sheepscot Valley RSU 12 resoundingly rejected a $25.8 million school budget at the polls Tuesday.

In contrast, the voters approved the Central Lincoln County School Budget 842 to 352, while the budget for MSAD 40 earned passage 737 to 561.

Dresden voters in RSU 2 voted to approve the budget 180 to 60. The rest of the RSU 2 voters outside Lincoln County approved the entire district budget, however vote totals were unavailable at press time.

RSU 12Voters rejected the RSU 12 budget with 75 percent opposed to 25 percent in favor.

The $25.9 million figure was carved from the originally proposed $27.7 million the RSU board of directors brought to the district budget meeting a week ago.

Interim Supt. Martha Witham praised the rejection.

“I think it’s good news. I think we know the information people are looking for and hopefully we can provide it in a format that makes sense to them. That’s my goal,” Witham said Wednesday morning following the vote.

The school board goes back to the drawing board Fri., June 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Whitefield gym to begin planning for the second district budget meeting and follow-up referendum.

At regular meeting June 4, board members rallied to support a “no” vote.

Reviewing the 10 percent cut voters made at the district meeting on June 2 to regular education, F. Gerard Nault, finance committee chair, said: “All the elementary and middle schools suffered the cut, and Wiscasset H.S. students get to suffer the 10 percent cut. We aren’t being true to our mission statement because all students aren’t getting an equitable education.”

Town by town results:Alna – 47 no to 15 yes.

Chelsea – 106 no to 28 yes.

Palermo – 101 no to 6 yes.

Somerville – 59 no to 8 yes.

Westport Island – 91 no to 79 yes.

Whitfield – 167 no to 33 yes.

Wiscasset – 428 no to 141 yes.

Lincoln County Central School SystemIn the Lincoln County Central School System, including Jefferson and School Union 74, the towns voted 842 in favor of the budget and 352 against.

In Bremen, voters approved everything in front of them with votes of 39-10, approving Bremen’s secondary school budget, and the town’s share of the secondary school budget and ratifying the Lincoln County Central School System school budget.

In Damariscotta the AOS budget passed 158-45, the GSB budget 160-47, and the secondary school budget passed 156-45.

In Bristol voters approved the BCS budget 93- 25 and the AOS budget 94-24.

South Bristol voters approved the proposed South Bristol School education budget 48-9 and the proposed AOS budget 46-11.

In Nobleboro voters approved the AOS budget 82-21 and the education budget 78-25. In another ballot item voters approved amending the land use ordinance 69-30.

In Newcastle, the AOS budget was approved 125-81, Newcastle secondary budget was approved 134-77 and the GSB budget was approved 131-78.

SAD 40Voters approved the budget for SAD 40 in a split decision with Waldoboro, Friendship and Union voting in favor while voters in Warren and Washington voted to reject it.

“It was a difficult year for everybody,” superintendent Pamela Carnahan said. “We are happy it (the budget) passed and will be ready for next year.”

In official totals, voters approved the budget 732 to 561.

Waldoboro voters approved their school budget by almost double 403 votes to 294.

In Warren voters declined the SAD 40 administrative budget for the 2009-’10 school years by a vote if 58-47.

Friendship approved the same budget by a total of 42-31.

Union agreed to their share of the SAD 40 budget with 175 votes to 102 opposed.

Washington voted to reject the budget 65 yes to 76 no.