DURHAM – While some people may have thought their votes on the school budget at last Saturday’s town meeting were final, they weren’t.

According to Superintendent Shannon Welsh, besides voting in open town meeting, the state requires a “budget validation referendum” secret ballot within 10 days to confirm votes taken at town meeting.

This means voters will be going to the polls on Tuesday, April 15, to vote on a single question, “Do you favor the Town of Durham school budget that was adopted at the latest town meeting and that included locally raised funds that exceed the required local contributions as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act?”

A yes vote would not give the School Department or the town the authority to raise more funds than what was previously authorized by voters at the annual town meeting.

If the budget is defeated, the school department would have to create a new budget and take it to a special town meeting. If approved by voters, it would then require another referendum vote for final approval, according to a spokesman at the superintendent’s office.

Welsh said the referendum vote would confirm the annual town meeting vote where $5,673,856, including federal and state allocations and other revenues, was approved.

Broken down, regular instruction, $3,282,239; special ed, $811,272; other instruction, $23,009; student and staff support, $196,419; system administration, $163,713; system administration, $236,697; transportation and buses, $416,070; facilities maintenance, $323,862; debt service and other commitments, $55,278; all other expenditures, $165,297, for a total of $5,673,856.

Voting will take place at the elementary school gymnasium from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m.