The Scarborough Town Council was expected this week to set the third school budget referendum for Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Last week, voters rejected a second school spending package, with a majority saying the proposed budget was too low.

The Town Council and Board of Education must now wrestle with what the previous two failed school budget votes mean, especially since the town seems divided between those who say spending is too high and those who don’t want to see programs cut.

During a council meeting on July 15, held after the Current’s deadline, town leaders were expected to hold a first reading on a new school budget amount. But, it was unclear earlier in the week what level of spending the majority of councilors would be willing to support.

Heading into Wednesday’s council meeting, Councilor Shawn Babine, chairman of the town’s Finance Committee, said, “I really don’t know where we’ll come out,” adding that, “we all have to sacrifice.”

During a referendum on July 7, 26 percent of registered voters turned out to vote on a $43.3 million school budget that represented a $500,000 reduction in spending from the original budget that was rejected on June 9.

This time, 3,584 people voted against the budget, with 496 voting for it, according to the Town Clerk’s Office. Of those votes, 2,047 said the proposed spending was too low and 1,838 said it was too high.

– Kate Irish Collins

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