The RSU 40/MSAD 40 Board of Directors voted to call the district budget meeting and to approve the warrant and notice of amounts adopted so the district can proceed with the budget validation referendum process.

A staff member explained those who signed the warrant tonight were authorizing the superintendent to record the final dollar amounts after the May 13 budget meeting and that the district will forward the adopted amounts to the towns for posting. "You're not saying you love the budget. You're not saying you hate the budget. You're just saying you're authorizing us to move forward with the budget process," the staff member said.

Key dates and details described to the board: the district budget meeting is scheduled for May 13; the validation referendum (poll vote) was described as June 10. The warrant and notice list each article (for example: regular instruction, special education) and the total; the superintendent will sign the final document following the May 13 vote and towns will post the article-level notice as required.

Board members asked about public access to detail. The staff member said a full budget book will be available online and callers can request explanations; the packet contains by-line accounting that breaks down specific spending lines. The board moved and seconded the motion and the motion was recorded as passed; members then signed multiple warrant documents in sequence.

The board recorded the procedural authorization to call the meeting and publish the required notices; implementation steps include the superintendent filing the final adopted amounts after the May 13 meeting and town clerks posting the article-level notices in each town as required by local procedures.