FARMINGTON — The $25.4 million budget for Regional School Unit 9 was passed handily by residents from seven of nine district towns who cast their formal vote at the ballot box Wednesday.

The one-article referendum question passed, 489-246.

It failed in Chesterville, 24-20, and in New Vineyard, 6-17, but passed in Farmington, 138-25; Industry, 19-10; New Sharon, 32-24; Temple, 23-15; Weld, 18-2; Wilton, 221-126; and Vienna, 12-3.

“I am very pleased and appreciate the support that will allow the district to keep the bus drivers and custodians as local employees,” Superintendent Michael Cormier said on Wednesday evening after the polls closed.

If the budget was defeated Wednesday, the school board had said it would have to reopen deliberations and would look once again at bids submitted by private transportation and maintenance service contractors as the only places left to cut.

That move would result in layoffs of current employees who could be hired back by the private contractors but at part-time hours, reduced pay and no benefits, the board was told by the Director of Support Services, David Leavitt, who researched the options.

Community members, staff and union members came out in force during the budget sessions to oppose the proposals.

Cuts were made across the board in programs and operations.

Cormier said the board was aware that these are difficult economic times but there were no other places to trim.

“We cut and cut. We are beyond critical mass right now,” he said.

The total budget is up 15 percent, or $3.4 million, over what was raised in 2010-11 because this year, the debt service on the two new school projects are included. More than 95 percent of that debt is being paid by the state. The district also saw a decline of around $416,000 over 2010-11.

The operational budget — the cost of running the district — increased only $155,000, or less than 1 percent, according to the budget.

On a cautiously upbeat note, Cormier said an early estimate of the state aid for the 2012-13 fiscal year could mean $239,000 more revenue than the $15.3 million the district will receive in 2011-12 when about $416,000 was lost compared to the prior fiscal year.