SABATTUS – It took three tries, but Sabattus voters passed a school budget Tuesday by a vote of 156 to 95.

Passage of the $5.94 million, zero-increase budget ended the school-spending battle among voters who rejected higher budgets on June 10 and July 22.

Voter turnout Tuesday was very light, Town Clerk Suzanne Adams said. During the day, more seniors voted, but around dinner time, younger voters showed up at the polls. “It was pretty well even,” Adams said.

Those who lobbied for more spending and those who lobbied for less were pleased that there would be no more town budget meetings or referendums.

“I’m glad it’s over,” School Committee Chairman Gary Blais said, but he preferred a slightly higher budget.

“Expenses have grown. Salaries have increased,” he said. “Fuel bills, electricity, have gone up.”

But the townspeople have spoken, he said. “We’ll work with what they gave us and figure out how to live with it. We’ll have to tighten our belts.”

The budget passed this time because the School Committee and administrators listened to voters “and did what we’re all doing: salami slicing and prioritizing what’s important,” said Amedeo Lauria, chairman of the Sabattus Budget Committee. He was among those who favored less spending.

The budget approved Tuesday was the same amount as last year, $5.94 million for K-8 schools.

Because the town received more education money from the state and because the district had money left over from last year, property taxes will go down 2.2 mills, said Chris Trenholm, business manager for Wales, Sabattus and Litchfield schools, collectively School Union 44.

The decrease is significant. Taxes on a home valued at $100,000 will go down by about $220, Trenholm said.

The two budgets rejected by voters called for about $6.13 million in spending, but taxes still would have gone down because of more revenue.

To keep spending the same as last year, the school board cut $143,730, Trenholm said. Cuts included $18,000 in salaries from three new positions. A new kindergarten teacher, a special education teacher and a guidance counselor were hired at the end of July. Their salaries will be lower than those they replaced, who had higher degrees or more experience. Someone with a master’s degree makes more than someone with a bachelor’s degree, Trenholm said.

Other cuts were in special education (one student moved out of the district, saving $65,000), supplies, professional development and student field trips.

“There were no reductions in programs and staff,” Trenholm said. “The flip side is it’s a really tight budget.”