PHILLIPS — Voters in the Regional School Union 58 overwhelmingly voted Tuesday against a budget that could have shut down the school district on July 1.

Based on the May 28 budget vote, residents went to the polls in Kingfield, Strong, Avon and Phillips with a choice to vote the budget total of $255,964 either up or down. Of the 344 votes cast, 289 voters rejected the proposed budget, while 55 voted in favor.

Originally presented with a $9.4 million proposal, protesters at the May 28 meeting approved only the adult education and debt service payments, reducing other articles to $1. The option to fund a prekindergarten program was voted down.

To prevent the possibility of a shutdown on July 1, the RSU 58 board of directors met last week to develop a new schedule of meeting dates, with hopes of getting a new school budget approved.

With 160 employees and 725 students in the district, all would be affected by another  inadequate budget, according to Superintendent Erica Brouillet. Under the Maine constitution, residents have a legal obligation to pay the education costs of students in the district, as well as employee salaries.

The board sought legal counsel after the May 28 budget meeting to determine the appropriate steps to take if voters Tuesday in the four towns approved a budget that reduced each of the district’s cost centers to $1. They were advised there is no state law to cover that action.

The board will meet Wednesday, June 10, to sign a new warrant and plans to hold a budget meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, June 22, at Mt. Abram High School. They also have scheduled a second budget referendum in each town Monday, June 29.