RANGELEY – A public meeting to discuss the $2.8 million school budget will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Rangeley Lakes Regional School.

Voters will be asked to act on 14 budget articles then return to the polls for the budget ballot referendum on Monday, June 23, for a yes or no vote to ratify Wednesday’s action, Superintendent Phil Richardson said.

The school budget is up 2.5 percent or $73,000 over this year’s spending, he said.

“One of the things we’re trying to do is to provide our students with better access to technology,” he said.

This year, the school was rewired for wireless and communications systems.

“The school also hopes to provide video conferencing so that students can partake of courses offered at other schools,” he said. “Our kids have to compete with kids in larger schools, 45-miles away.”

The five plantations included in Union 37 with Rangeley will also hold budget and referendum votes, he said. Dallas Plantation’s public budget meeting is planned for Friday night with the referendum vote also June 23. Sandy River Plantation will act on the school budget during its regular town meeting at 6:30 p.m. June 20 at the Sandy River Town Hall. No date has been set for the referendum vote, said Town Clerk Evelyn Wing, although she anticipates a June 26 vote because the budget process has to be completed by June 30.

The other three plantations did their budget work in March, he added.