POLAND – In a year when some towns failed over and over to get voters to OK a school budget, Poland has now gotten its budget approved twice.

In a special town meeting held Wednesday, Poland voters passed a $13.1 million school budget for the 2008-09 school year. Voters originally approved the same budget during the regular town meeting in April, but the Maine Department of Education refused to accept the vote because new state rules required towns to get voter approval on several parts of the budget and Poland had voted only for the bottom line figure, Town Manager Dana Lee said.

On Wednesday, 132 people showed up to vote on 14 school articles. All were approved, including the bottom line figure, which was OK’d by a vote of 79-28.

Wednesday’s turnout was better than the original town meeting in April, which drew fewer than 100 people.

The budget was also approved by a wider margin on Wednesday. In April it passed by a vote of 53-45.

Because the school budget was officially approved so late in the year, the town will send out tax bills late this year. Bills are expected to be mailed next week. Taxes are normally due on Oct. 1, but they will now be due Nov. 1 to accommodate the late schedule.