DIXFIELD — Residents of the 12 RSU 10 member towns will vote Tuesday on a proposed $35.1 million operating budget for school year 2012-13.

The figure was approved by a majority of the residents who attended a district-wide vote May 31.

This second vote will take place in the polls of each town June 12. Voters will be asked to vote yes or no on the $35.1 million budget.

Superintendent Tom Ward said the proposed figure is an increase of about $1 million, or 3 percent, from the current year’s $34.1 million operating budget.

This increase, he said, is the first since the former SADs 21, 39 and 43 merged into RSU 10 three years ago. And the increase comes about despite the elimination of 29 full-time positions and seven part-time positions. Although many of the positions eliminated were those of people who retired or left the region for some other reason, Ward said 16 people lost their jobs.

“We wouldn’t have been able to absorb so much if we weren’t an RSU. We save $1 million built-in increases each year,” Ward said.

Affecting this year’s school tax hike is a $45 million increase in state valuation of the district’s member towns. Small towns, such as Byron, get hit the hardest whenever state valuation goes up, he said.

If voters approve the proposed budget, Ward said homes valued at $100,000 would see estimated school tax increases of $88.22 in Buckfield, $107.15 in Byron, $15.37 in Canton, $101.11 in Carthage, $67.80 in Dixfield, $111.27 in Hanover, $61.33 in Hartford, $99.52 in Mexico, $20.83 in Peru, $89.91 in Roxbury, $61.15 in Rumford and $24.77 in Sumner.

Ward said he is basing the estimated increases on 2011-12 numbers that included carryover funds for each town, with 2012-13 numbers that don’t include carryover money.

He suggested that anyone who wants to know the precise school tax impact on their homes should contact their town office.

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