RSU 18 board votes to call district budget meeting and approve warrants for FY27 budget validation referendum

RSU 18's board voted to call the district budget meeting and approve the warrants and notices necessary for the FY27 budget validation referendum, a procedural step required by state law.

At the meeting Superintendent Zipporah explained the motion and the process for sending warrants to each town and noted the district will deliver informational one-pagers to town clerks and encourage those packets be made available at polling locations. She said the process is done annually and that administration would travel to towns to deliver warrants after the board signs them.

Board members asked clarifying questions about how an item affecting the town of China's tuition and insured-value factor appears in the warrant (article 13). Administrators explained the insured-value factor number historically originates from the EPS calculation and that the additional-local figure listed separately for China is an additional local assessment rather than a duplicate charge. Officials said they had cleared the treatment with the Department of Education.

The motion, as read into the record, authorized the board to call the district budget meeting, approve the warrants for the budget validation referendum and include a copy of the vote in the meeting minutes. The board approved the motion; the chair announced the vote as in favor (unanimous). Next steps: town clerks will receive documents for the district budget meeting and the district anticipates the validation referendum vote will be held on the statewide election date this summer.