WESTBROOK, Maine — Westbrook voters are weighing in on the city's 2024-2025 revised school budget after the original school budget failed last month.
Voting took place Tuesday, with polls open until 8 p.m., at Westbrook Community Center.
Westbrook Superintendent of Schools Peter Lancia said this year marked the first time a school budget did not pass.
"It was not a wants-based budget. It was a needs-based budget," Lancia explained. "It was disappointing when the budget didn't pass by about 50 votes last month."
The revised budget amounts to roughly $51 million, which is approximately $722,000 less than the original budget the school board committee and the city approved.
The reduced budget eliminates an open position for a third-grade teacher at Saccarappa Elementary School, which will increase classroom sizes and increase the teacher-to-student ratio.
It also scraps the commercial driver's license (CDL) program at the vocational school.
Other cuts include the elimination of a curriculum coordinator position, open maintenance specialist position, canceling a stipend for the Key Club at the district's high school, cutting funding for audio visual equipment, and more.
To get a closer look at the revised school budget, click here.
"There's nothing that's not needed in the budget," school committee chair Suzanne Salisbury said. "In the original one or in the new one."
It's a harsh reality Salisbury said she wants voters to understand as they vote on the school district's school budget for the second time.
"Any time you have a budget when you turn the page from one year to the next, there's an increase," she said. "Based on contract negotiations, based on the cost of doing business, and I don't think that's what people realize."
Lancia said all contracts for teacher and support staff expired and had to be renegotiated this year.
He explained that to keep good educators, the district has to offer competitive salaries.
"There was a priority to improve wages across the board for our teachers and staff," Lancia said. "We work really hard to impact our students the least. Obviously, any reduction is harmful to kids and has some sort of impact to their learning."
Some voters said they want to see the revised budget pass in spite of the cuts it would mean for schools and the increase in taxes.
Natalie Flynn said she voted yes on the budget, even though it makes cuts to positions and programs she said she believes are necessary.
"I feel really sometimes conflicted that I'm voting here. ... I'm voting yes to the budget, but yet things are eliminated that I don't want eliminated," Flynn said. "But I don't want to vote no and see future things down the line be eliminated."
If approved, the budget will increase the city's taxes by 9.3 percent, an increase voter Champagne Dolores said is too high, and one she believes many in the community can't afford.
"They're all trying to pay their bills, and they're having a hard time," Dolores said.
Salisbury said going forward, she hopes people will share their concerns earlier in the budget process.