PARIS – SAD 17 voters Thursday night unanimously approved a $36.5 million budget for fiscal year 2009-10.

The swift action by about 75 voters came without debate. Last year, 160 voters debated the budget for two hours.

The budget must now be validated by a majority of voters at referendums in all eight towns on Tuesday, June 9.

The spending package is a 1.21 percent increase from last fiscal year’s budget. Although some towns will see a decrease or an increase in their annual assessment based on the new budget, there will be no overall local increase, school officials said.

The budget includes $13.7 million for regular education, $3.2 million for special education, $3.1 million for career and technical education and $2.4 million for transportation. It also includes $2.1 million for school administration and $3.5 million for maintenance.

The budget includes money to implement a math intervention program at all grade levels and reinstatement of the elementary summer school.

The spending plan also includes money for a new teaching position to address a significant increase in grade two enrollment, the addition of a behavioral intervention program at Oxford Elementary School and the expansion of a Life Skills program at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

The budget includes a reduction in the unified arts schedule and restructuring of central administration, Superintendent Mark Eastman said. Budget reductions were made in areas such as staff development and capital improvements to keep local taxpayers’ costs from increasing.

“It was a roller-coaster ride,” Eastman said of the budget process.

He said that without the federal stimulus money there would have been a $1.6 million budget shortfall. Additionally, the budget was helped by no increase in health insurance, lower-than-expected prices on utility bills and careful spending practices, he said.

Eastman warned voters that despite a challenging budget year, officials are concerned about the future and what legislators are calling the “funding cliff” next year when state revenue is expected to decrease significantly.

School officials will deliver the approved budget numbers to town halls in the eight school district towns Friday so they can be posted at the polling places.

On Tuesday, voters will be able to review the numbers again at their polling places prior to entering the voting booth. However, there will be no number attached to the ballot question, Eastman said.