RUMFORD – Voters here and in Mexico overwhelmingly approved a $14.8 million budget for SAD 43 Tuesday.

The vote was 1,273 to 587.

They also approved a $750,000 bond issue by a tally of 1,492 to 520.

Other member towns of Byron and Roxbury had not reported election results on the school issues by late Wednesday.

Most Mexico and Rumford voters also indicated on their ballots that they thought the new operating budget was too high.

Linda Westleigh, a Rumford representative who is chairwoman of the SAD 43 board, said Wednesday afternoon that she is excited about the new budget, particularly since the board spent so much time developing it. It is more than 3 percent higher than this year’s.

Passage of the bond issue was important to the district, she said.

“It will save us money over the long term to do needed projects,” she said.

Those include new boilers, resurfacing the Mountain Valley Middle School track, roof work on school buildings, new kitchen equipment, and other items.

Superintendent Jim Hodgkin was also pleased with the budget passage, particularly since Roxbury, Byron and Mexico are expected to absorb a higher increase in their school tax.

“And I’m pleased with Rumford’s support,” he said.

In related school district election matters, Mexico incumbent representatives Peter Zanoni and Betty Barrett, both longtime members of the board, ran unopposed and were re-elected to additional three-year terms.

In Rumford, Westleigh was the only candidate whose name was on the ballot for one of three open, three-year positions. The top two write-in candidates for the remaining two positions, previously held by Frank DiConzo and David McKivergan, who chose not to seek re-election, were former board member Diane Paterson, with 24 votes, and Gloria Morton, with 18 votes.

Marcia Chaisson was the sole Rumford candidate running to fill a one-year term vacated by former board member Tony DeSalle.

SAD 43’s annual reorganizational and regular board meeting has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at Mountain Valley High School.