DIXFIELD – About 75 people overwhelmingly approved the first Western Foothills School District budget Thursday night.

Residents of the 12-town district, which consolidates SADs 21, 39 and 43, and the town of Hanover into Regional School Unit 10, authorized spending $34.1 million for 2009-10.

On Tuesday, June 9, residents of the new district will validate the vote in a referendum as part of the state’s two-step approval process this year.

Jerry Wiley, chairman of the school board, said Thursday night’s decision was good for the system.

“It’s working out well for us,” he said.

Superintendent Tom Ward said he was not only pleased with the results of Thursday’s voting, but with the positiveness of the three public informational meetings in each of the new district’s regions this week.

“People asked great questions and they’re very supportive. I encourage people to get out and vote on Tuesday,” he said.

Among the people who voted against the budget was Ed Parent of Peru. He said cuts must be made, not to the programs for children but those geared toward adults.

Buckfield resident Judy Berg said she voted against the budget because of the wording in one article that appeared to exclude prekindergarten. SAD 39 has a prekindergarten program, and the district hopes to begin one soon. She feared that the wording of the article might jeopardize SAD 39’s program.

Voters passed each of the 21 articles that comprise the total budget, including lease-purchase of two new buses. Ward said SADs 21, 39 and 43 had previously built in the replacement of one bus each year. With the school consolidation and the number of spare buses available, he believes replacing two each year should be sufficient.

Voters will go to their individual polls in Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Dixfield, Canton, Carthage, Peru, Byron, Roxbury, Mexico, Rumford and Hanover on Tuesday.

School taxes in about half the towns will go up and the other half will go down.

Ward said if residents vote down the budget, the regional school board will have to meet to determine the next step.

The proposed budget eliminates several positions and consolidates three central operating offices into one, which was estimated to save about $600,000.

The new school system, which now includes about 3,000 students and 600 employees, officially begins operations July 1.