RUMFORD – District voters will make history Thursday, and again Tuesday, when they vote on the proposed $13.69 million SAD 43 operating budget.

Residents of the four member towns Thursday will have a chance to change any of the 11 money articles that all add up to the proposed figure during a districtwide meeting vote. Then, whatever total figure is finally agreed upon will be voted on at referendum during the elections on Tuesday.

SAD 43 is the first district in the state to try this new way of acting on a school budget. Residents voted for it last year.

Using a districtwide meeting to vote on the nuts and bolts is meant to give people a chance to learn more about how the budget was developed, Superintendent Danny Michaud said.

The process was promoted by the Maine Municipal Association. Selectmen from most of the member towns helped push for the change.

At Thursday’s meeting, residents will be checked in by the ballot clerks from their respective towns, then given a packet outlining costs for each major component of the overall proposed budget. These include: $7,188,826 for instruction, $1,297,065 for instructional support, $1,653,765 for leadership, $1,697,624 for operations, $789,453 for transportation and $1,063,802 for other commitments. They will also be given a listing of revenue sources. Michaud will explain each figure before giving voters a chance to ask questions or propose changes. Participants will vote on each of the articles.

“Voters can vote on the article as written or it can be amended up or down,” he said.

Votes can be tallied through a hand count or through secret ballot, if requested.

Whatever final figure is arrived at will appear on the referendum ballot for Tuesday’s election.

During the referendum, voters may also indicate whether the proposed figure is too high or too low. If it is voted down, then the board must meet and decide what figure to present for another districtwide vote. That vote, and the figure agreed upon by voters would then be voted on in referendum within three business days of the districtwide vote. This procedure will be repeated until a budget is adopted in referendum.

Michaud hopes that passing a SAD 43 budget will take only the first two votes, but if it doesn’t, he said the district will have a budget eventually.

He said the vote is being closely watched by many other districts across the state, including several that will have votes next week on whether to adopt the new procedure.

“They want to know the pluses and minuses,” he said.

One of the minuses, he said, is when absentee ballots may be cast. Although these ballots are usually available at town offices 14 days before a vote, an absentee ballot on a school budget cannot be cast until after the districtwide vote because that is when the final budget figure is determined. Then, there are only three days until the referendum vote.

He was clearly skeptical about the new procedure.

“I respect the taxpayers request to implement this budget procedure and the budget validation. I hope it does not jeopardize the budget requests the district needs and in the confusion, that it doesn’t adversely affect the students,” he said.

He was particularly concerned that far fewer people would attend the districtwide meeting where the budget is explained than those who turn out for elections on Tuesday.

The proposed budget is up about $40,000 from last year’s operating figure. But because of a greater amount of state aid this year than last, the tax liabilities for all four member towns will decrease slightly. Two teachers will lose their jobs.

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