SAD 17 budget passes

PARIS — Voters in seven of the eight School Administrative District 17 towns Tuesday approved the $39.6 million budget by a vote of 1,197 to 785.

Otisfield’s results were unavailable late Tuesday night.

The 2017-18 budget reflects a 1.47 reduction in state subsidy and a 4.19 percent increase in local assessments.

Superintendent Rick Colpitts said Tuesday night that he was not surprised by the close vote considering the shift from state to local funding. He said the vote reflects the support of communities to continue improvements in educational programming and facilities needs.

“I am grateful,” he said.

The tallies were as follows:

Oxford, 237-222;

Norway, 366-155;

Harrison, 189-104;

Hebron, 36-11;

Paris, 274-250;

Waterford, 57-14; and

West Paris, 38-29.

Approval of the budget number allows school officials to move forward in their plans to bring back back a full-time principal at Hebron Station and Agnes Gray Elementary School in West Paris and to provide a 2.5 percent in negotiated pay increases among other items.

The budget also includes the voter authorization to spend above the Essential Programs and Services recommendation by $1.86 million, which exceeds the EPS recommendation by $1.10 million. The state subsidy dropped about $2.3 million this year, and because of a shift in how much the state is kicking in, local funds had to make up the difference.