A $22.69 million school budget for Durham, Freeport and Pownal was approved in a second validation referendum Tuesday. The vote was 1,058 to 786.

The Regional School Unit 5 spending plan for 2009-10 was recommended by the Board of Directors after an earlier proposal failed.

In Tuesday’s balloting, the smaller towns of Durham and Pownal rejected the budget by wide margins, while Freeport approved it 883-113. Durham’s tally was 117 yes, 330 no; Pownal’s was 58 yes, 343 no.