OXFORD — Voters in the eight towns of SAD 17 gave final approval to the $37.6 million budget Tuesday.

A total of 2,078 voters approved the 2014-15 spending plan in a vote of 1,413 to 665.

“The community continues to support the school as best as they’re able to,” Superintendent Rick Colpitts said Tuesday night. He said voters always have to consider what they can afford while trying to provide the best education for the students.

“It’s always a balance,” he said.

The results were:

Norway, 291-117; Waterford, 89-39; Hebron, 79-16; West Paris, 83-35; Paris, 318-207; Harrison, 179-83; Otisfield, 120-44; Oxford, 254-124.

The budget is 4.27 percent higher than this fiscal year, and requires an average 3.99 percent increase in local assessments. The local assessments range from a low of 2.77 percent for Norway to a high of 5.99 percent for Oxford.

The budget includes $225,000 for four more teachers to reduce elementary class sizes to 25 students or fewer, $45,000 for a middle and high school technology teacher and $25,000 for a preschool teacher at the Hebron Station School.

The additional personnel not only will help reduce elementary school class sizes, but also will help to implement a $326,908 second-year payment for additional technology at middle schools in Paris and Oxford, and Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris, Colpitts previously said.

The district has until 2017 to meet the required Essential Services and Programs local share. SAD 17 is 5.57 percent under EPS.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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