LEWISTON — Voters on Tuesday approved the fiscal 2021 school budget by a tally of 3,926 to 1,342.
The $88.6 million budget, combined with the municipal budget, will decrease the local tax rate by 41 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The superintendent’s original budget of $91.04 million was twice reduced, first to lower the additional local increase to zero and then to cut another $1.1 million to further ease the burden on taxpayers during the pandemic.
Lewiston Public Schools expects to receive about $2 million in CARES Act pandemic relief funding, and school officials approved using about $718,000 toward the cuts.
Without using the federal aid money, cuts would have to be made in regular and special education instruction, school officials said.
The City Council voted unanimously in June to send the proposed budget on to voters, calling it a win-win for the School Department and residents in the face of a pandemic.
In the advisory question, 1,396 said the budget was too high, while 2,988 said it was acceptable and 738 said it was too low.
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