By Terry Karkos,Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – Members of SAD 21’s Consolidated School Board OK’d a $9.25 million budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year Monday night.

It is the board’s first budget since the town of Peru merged last spring with SAD 21, which includes Canton, Carthage and Dixfield.

At Monday night’s meeting, directors had to pare $41,530 to arrive at the $9,256,000 targeted budget. They had already cut over $361,800 from the proposed budget.

Superintendent Thomas Ward said that the new budget represented a minimal increase over last year’s budget.

Assessments to the district’s towns, including a $36,516 adult education budget, are:

• Dixfield, $1,424,048.53

• Canton, $553,993.45

• Carthage, $235,081.18

• Peru, $1,185,183.62

Peru’s assessment, he said, is higher because it’s new to the district and it has a high valuation.

Dixfield’s assessment increased by $8,908.58 over last year’s, Canton’s rose $14,415.29, Carthage’s increased by $8,866.08, and Peru’s by $230,603.90.