SAD 74 voters OK budget by wide margin
Morning Sentinel, 05/08/2008

ANSON -- The School Administrative District 74 budget passed by a wide margin Tuesday, winning majorities in every town except Embden, where school costs will rise by almost 13 percent.
With a total of 427 voters going to the polls, the $9.1 million budget passed 67-63 in Anson, 36-17 in Solon and by a 103-9 margin in New Portland.

Superintendent Regina Campbell said she believed the high turnout and overwhelming support in New Portland is an indication of the affection residents have for the tiny New Portland school.

"People came out to support their school," said Campbell.

That school was one of two small SAD 74 elementary schools that were likely to be closed if the school board had accepted a plan to restructure the district earlier this year. That plan was blocked at a board meeting attended by about 100 residents, most of whom supported the small schools.

Embden was the other town that faced the likely closure of its school under the restructuring plan.

Voters in that town were less supportive of the budget, rejecting it by a 58-74 margin.

Embden had the highest increase in the budget. Costs declined by about a quarter of a percent in Anson, fell almost 4 percent in New Portland and rose about a quarter of a percent in Solon.

Campbell said that, overall, she was very pleased with the results, although she said she wished the state had allowed the district to approve the budget in the manner it has in previous years.

This is the first year of a new budget approval system mandated by the state. Under the new system, the budget first goes to a district meeting during which voters can raise or lower spending levels. The budget then goes to a referendum in all four towns for final approval.