NORWAY – Voters overwhelmingly approved the Oxford Hills School District’s $34.6 million budget Tuesday and authorized spending $1.2 million to resolve a mold problem at the Otisfield Community School and address handicap accessibility issues at three other elementary schools.

A total of 857 voters in the eight district towns who reported results by 10 p.m. approved the school budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. A total of 355 voters rejected the budget proposal.

A total of 695 voters in Norway, Oxford, Paris, Otisfield, Harrison, Hebron, West Paris and Waterford approved funding the Otisfield project while 333 voted against it.

A total of 733 voters approved the spending package for the school handicapped accessibility projects at three elementary schools while 277 voted against it.

Oxford voters narrowly approved the school project funding on a 108-103 vote for the Otisfield project and a 116-93 vote for the handicapped accessibility projects.

The new budget means an increase of 4.84 percent for local assessments in order to maintain essential programs and services for students and meet state mandates.

“We’re elated it passed on all three counts,” Superintendent Rick Colpitts said Tuesday night of the passage of the budget and project funding referendums.

Voters were asked in the two-part referendum question to approve the plan to fund the $1,012,659 Otisfield Community School project through Renovation Revolving Funds, market rate bonds and district Capital Reserve.

School officials say tests have confirmed there is mold throughout the walls of the school from the interior of the Sheetrock to the brick exterior walls, but that it is contained.

Colpitts said school officials will meet with the school project construction crew Wednesday to map out a schedule for the work. The project is expected to begin on Monday and be finished two weeks before classes resume in the fall.

The second part of the referendum ballot for funding asked voters to approve an additional $105,680 to ensure that elementary schools in Harrison, Norway and Waterford are in compliance with handicap accessibility laws.

The three projects include $35,000 at the Harrison Elementary School to build a handicapped ramp and add automatic doors. The Waterford Elementary School will have a ramp and automatic doors installed for $19,000. The Rowe Elementary School in Norway will have doorknobs throughout the building replaced with levers and automatic doors for handicap accessibility installed for $51,686.

Hebron voters approved the school budget on a 24-1 vote and the issuance of $1.2 million in bonds for the school projects on an 40-10 vote.

In Waterford, 31 voters approved the budget and seven voted against it. A total of 30 approved the Otisfield funding article and eight voted against it. A total of 30 voters approved the handicap funding and three said no.

A total of 117 Otisfield voters approved the $34.6 million budget request while 20 said no. A total of 124 voters approved the request for the Otisfield project funding; 13 said no. In the request for funding for the other three elementary schools, 121 said yes and 16 said no.

In Oxford, 136 voters approved the school budget while 76 voted against it. The funding for the Otisfield project was approved at a 108-103 vote. Oxford voters also approved the elementary school handicap accessibility projects on a 116-93 vote.

Norway voters OK’d the school budget on a 136-19 vote. Voters also approved the Otisfield project funding on a 123-35 vote and the three elementary school handicap issue projects on a 127-29 vote.

West Paris voters approved the school budget on a 30-11 count. A total of 30 voters approved the Otisfield project funding and 15 said no. A total of 27 voters OK’d the three elementary school projects’ funding and 14 said no.

In Harrison, 106 voters approved the budget while 44 said no. A total of 90 voters approved the Otisfield project funding while 59 said no. And 106 voters OK’d the handicapped accessibility compliance project funding and 42 voters said no.

In Paris, 177 voters approved the school budget while 65 voted against it. A total of 150 voters approved the Otisfield project funding and 90 voted against it. And 166 voters approved the handicapped compliance project funding while 70 voted against it.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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