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RSU 5 voters approve FY2026 spending plan; written-ballot article passes 84-7
Summary
At the RSU 5 annual budget meeting May 14, voters approved the district's FY2026 spending plan and a written-ballot article increasing local funds. The meeting included discussion of staffing reductions, targeted new positions, use of fund balance to reduce tax impact, and multiple reserve transfers.
RSU 5 voters at the district's annual budget meeting on May 14 approved the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 spending plan and a written-ballot article that passed 84–7, according to results announced at the meeting. The operating budget and related warrant articles — including authorizations to move reserve funds and accept grants — were approved by the assembled voters and will go forward to the referendum vote on June 10.
The budget the meeting authorized the school board to expend for July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, was presented to voters as $44,367,929 (Article 15). The board earlier described a proposed operating budget of roughly $44.46 million that includes negotiated salary and benefit increases that together account for about 82.5% of the total. To reduce the tax impact, the board said it would use $1,068,000 of undesignated fund balance and a projected $259,000 in interest income. The district estimated the tax impact by town as 8.83% in Durham, 4.95% in Freeport and 7.87% in Pownal.
The district described three budget priorities: maintaining high-quality programming, sustaining student…
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