NEWPORT — A $19.8 million budget that was strongly opposed by the School Board and school administration passed at the polls Tuesday, 589-323.
Voters also reelected Jenna Darling over Kurt Minnich for a seat on the School Board, 484-365.
A bus purchase for $40,000 was defeated as was $125,000 for special education, both of which would have come from existing reserve funds. Voters did pass a request to put $25,000 in the special education fund and by a wide margin approved just a dollar to cover an expected deficit from the current budget year.
An article to allow the district to accept and expend, without further action, unanticipated money received from state, federal or private sources, lost by 49 votes.
Voters at the deliberative session in early February cut $1.2 million out of the budget proposed by the School Board. It includes a one-year teachers contract. The School Board called for the defeat of the amended budget so a larger default budget of $20.3 million would have been implemented. School officials claim the approved budget will lead to cuts in staff and programs that will hurt the progress the district has made.
But supporters of the budget, which has an estimated tax rate impact of 18 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, have said the district’s finances are mismanaged and residents can no longer afford large tax increases.
