The proposed $40.6 million budget to operate the MSAD 35 school district next year was approved by an overwhelming majority of the 267 voters at the Annual Budget Meeting Monday night.
With only a small number of voters opposing any of the warrant articles and only one citizen speaking from the floor, the meeting was over in less than an hour, a marked departure from last year’s tumultuous meeting.
The budget, which was approved by 222 of the voters attending, will now go to a referendum vote June 9 in the towns of South Berwick and Eliot.
The 2026-27 budget is 4.33%, or $1.6 million, more than this year’s budget of $38.9 million.
Attendance at the meeting was significantly lower than last year, which drew more than 600 voters, including about 100 casting “no” votes. This year, only about a dozen or fewer people raised their hands to vote “no” on any of the items.
Lisa McGinness of Eliot, the lone citizen to address the crowd, said the district’s administrative costs are the highest in Maine while the state “ranks 41st out of 50 states in educational achievement.” Teachers deserve raises, she said, but those raises should be based on merit.
McGinness told the South Berwick Reporter after the meeting that she had been in contact with other citizens who oppose the budget, but they are waiting for the June referendum vote to express their opinions in a secret ballot.
“Why would they want to be here after being laughed at and ridiculed before,” she said. “People have threatened me, and one man was even assaulted in the parking lot by someone not on the ‘no’ side.”
If the budget does not pass the referendum vote, an additional budget meeting and referendum will be held. The two-step process will be repeated until a budget is approved.
If the budget is not approved June 9, the budget passed May 11 would be the district’s operating budget until a subsequent district budget meeting is held.
To reduce costs and ease the administrative burden on the towns, the June 9 budget validation referendum is scheduled concurrently with state and town referendum elections.
South Berwick voting will be held at Marshwood High School, and Eliot voting will be at the Eliot Town Hall. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in both communities.
