POLAND — The $19.3 million budget for Regional School Unit 16 was approved at Tuesday’s referendum by a vote of 438-252.

The budget for the school district’s fiscal year, which begins July 1, was approved by voters in all three district towns.

Mechanic Falls voters approved the budget 120-68; in Minot it was approved 90-32; and in Poland, 228-152.

School officials estimated that the budget, which is about $700,000 higher than the current year’s spending plan, would have a relatively small impact on local property taxes.

The annual increase in taxes assessed on $100,000 properties was estimated to be $16.96 in Mechanic Falls, $8.99 in Minot and $45.38 in Poland, according to Superintendent Michael Wilhelm.

Voters in the three towns agreed that they wanted the two-step budget approval process to continue for another three years. The vote to continue to hold a districtwide budget meeting to approve a budget and forward it to a referendum was 503-187.

Mechanic Falls voters approved continuing the two-step process by a vote of 150-37;, in Minot the vote was 85-42 and in Poland it was 268-108.

Ballots were cast by a total of 696 voters in the three towns.