BETHEL — Residents voted Tuesday evening to approve a $10.6 million budget for 2015-16 fiscal year.

A validation referendum will be held Tuesday, June 9, at polling stations in Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock.

School Administrative District 44 Superintendent David Murphy said he thought the $10.6 million budget, which is $97,097 more than the this fiscal year, was “very responsible.” He said the Finance Committee “spent a lot of time on the budget.”

One major increase — $176,939, — is for special education instruction. It would go up to $1.10 million, compared to $923,061 this fiscal year.

Murphy said $115,000 of the increase is for out-of-district placements. If the money was not in the budget and was needed, the district would have to call a special budget meeting to raise it.

“We’ve been fortunate over the last several years to not have any students who needed to be placed out of district, but we know that it will be the situation for us next year,” Murphy said. “It’s not as though you can say no. Once the Individualized Education Program makes its decision, the placement has to be made. The money has to be raised. A lot of scrutiny and discussion goes into it first.”

There is less money for transportation and buses compared to last year because the district is no longer transporting Andover students. The proposed amount for 2015-16 is $1.09 million, a decrease of $112,738 from this fiscal year.

In September 2014, Andover residents voted 298-103 to withdraw from SAD 44.

The proposed budget also has $79,838 more for student and staff support, including $71,800 for the first year of a four-year lease/purchase for sixth-grade and high school laptop replacements.

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

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