SAD 17 voters validated a $35.8 million school budget for fiscal 2009 during Tuesday’s balloting.

With unofficial results available late Tuesday night from all eight district towns, 66.5 percent of voters approved the budget by a vote of 2,051 yes to 1,082 no.

“I’m pleased,” Superintendent Mark Eastman said from his home Tuesday night. “I was a little concerned about people understanding (the new budget process) but they were paying attention.”

The vote was the second part of a budget approval process that was implemented by state legislators.

The majority of voters from the eight district towns approved the budget Thursday during a districtwide meeting. At that time, they were able to see the budget numbers and vote to change them if they wished to.

Tuesday’s referendum question simply asked voters in a yes or no question if they approved of the spending plan. There was no mention of what the budget amount is or what is contained, and there was no ability to change the budget during the validation vote.

Eastman said he wasn’t surprised by the number of no votes. “One frustration for me was getting the information out there,” he said.

According to information from area town clerks, Paris residents voted 744 yes and 402 no; Oxford had 210 yes with 132 no; Waterford voters cast 112 yes and 92 no votes; Hebron 72 yes and nine no; Harrison 300 yes and 134 no; West Paris, 98 yes and 60 no; Otisfield 143 yes votes and 63 no; and Norway 472 yes and 190 no.

The numbers will not be official until they are certified within 48 hours after the polls closed, Eastman said.

“It will just take a while for people to get used to the process,” he said. Those voters who followed the new budget process through the various public hearings and the detailed budget newspaper that went to each household were familiar with what he called “the sacrifices” that the budget committee had to make to ensure that students continued to receive a quality education while being mindful of budget constraints and the effect on taxpayers.