OXFORD – Voters apparently approved SAD 17’s $35.4 million budget Tuesday, ensuring the continuation of existing programs and the addition of some new ones in the school district.

Results from Harrison were not available.

Vote tallies from Norway, Oxford, Paris, West Paris, Waterford, Hebron and Otisfield showed each of the nine questions being approved. Superintendent Mark Eastman said every article had to pass by a simple majority vote of all the towns combined in order for the budget to be approved.

Voters were faced with nine questions to raise funds for school and adult education budgets; to authorize the school board to expend the total school and adult education budgets; to authorize the vocational region’s operating, debt service and adult education budgets; and to authorize the expenditure of funds from grants and other sources.

“The early trends are looking good,” Eastman said about 9:30 p.m. after seeing returns from Norway, Paris, West Paris and Otisfield.

Many of the questions were approved by a more than 2-to-1 margin. But Oxford voters narrowly approved a question requesting the appropriation of $592,485 in additional local funds for the annual payment on nonstate funded debt service to help achieve the district’s budget for educational programs. The vote was 127-126.

The new budget will be used to continue existing programs, including the second year of all-day kindergarten and to bring an expanded foreign language program and gifted and talented program, along with current offerings.

“We appreciate people coming out and supporting the kids and the programs,” Eastman said.