MONMOUTH – Voters rejected the School Committee’s proposed budget Monday in a 357-239 vote. If successful, the referendum would have increased the town’s share of the budget to $152,000 beyond the state’s mandated Essential Programs and Services amount.

“This would be a break, but only a modest break” in the way the town currently finances the schools, said School Committee member Doug Beck. The town currently spends about $70,000 above the state’s Essential Programs and Services number.

‘Maintenance budget’

But that current budget “is just a maintenance budget,” said Beck, under which it will take 50 years to afford all of the curriculur and property projects currently required in the school system.

Beck was hopeful before the final vote count because of the large turnout to support the increased budget at a School Committee meeting last Wednesday. Beck also said he thought the School Committee had “done a fair job of letting people know it was a good budget” and the reasons why it needed to increase.

However, of the 357 voters who said no to the budget increase, 338 said that they desired a lower budget and only five wanted a higher budget (14 voters did not give an explanation).

Superintendent Leon Duff was disappointed by the results. “The schools needed that money to keep them in competition,” he said. “Sometimes people don’t support what’s absolutely necessary for their communities.” Something that he believes is “going to be a real problem” for the town in the future.

Finding cuts

School Committee Chairman Mike Rogers explained what the committee will do now that the budget has been rejected.

“We’ve identified areas that will have to be looked at, but not specific cuts,” he said. “It’s probably going to impact extra curriculars or travel.”

Rogers said he was disappointed, but was understanding of those who voted no. “We certainly don’t want to splinter the town,” he said. “We need to fashion a budget proposal that the community accepts.”