Staff Writer

A revised $34.9 million fiscal year 2011 school budget passed by a 2,325-2,029 vote Tuesday.

The referendum was the second for the school budget, which voters rejected 493-483 on May 11.

Voter turnout for the referendum question was 31 percent, said Town Clerk Tody Justice.

In a second, nonbinding question, 2,049 voters said the budget was too high, 1,194 said it was too low, and 1,297 voting for or against the budget did not answer the second question.

In the May 11 referendum, a majority of voters called the budget too low by a 490-387 margin, which led board of education members to add $100,000 to the budget from a teacher accrual fund. Town councilors voted May 24 against adding money from a municipal surplus account.

Money added to the budget did not affect a possible increase in property taxes from $12.15 per $1,000 of assessed value to $12.63 of assessed value.

The possible 3.95 percent increase is the result of passing the municipal and school budgets and the town share of the Cumberland County budget. The tax rate will be set after Assessor Paul Lesperance completes his valuation of town properties this summer

The budget calls for elimination of as many as 31 positions and will seek to raise $200,000 in activity fees for middle and high school athletic and extracurricular programs.

While the board has identified which positions will be eliminated, it has not determined which staffers may lose their jobs, according to Board of Education Chairman Brian Dell’Olio.

At its meeting Thursday, the board approved the first reading of a policy that would charge high school students $100 for each sport and $50 for each activity. Middle school students would be charged $75 for each sport and $25 for each activity. Waivers will be available, but regulations for the policy have not been finalized, according board documents.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219