Gorham voters rejected the town’s proposed school budget Tuesday, while voters in Portland and other nearby communities easily passed school spending proposals.
Gorham’s school budget failed 59% to 41%, or 956 to 660.
The proposed $51.5 million school budget represented an increase of more than $5 million, or 11%, over this year’s $46.4 million budget. The proposed Gorham budget would have added $1.31 to the town’s tax rate, or $393 to the annual tax bill on a home valued at $300,000.
Other communities in Greater Portland showed strong support for school budgets.
Portland voters overwhelmingly passed the city’s proposed school budget, 76% to 21% with 3% blank. A total of 8,811 voters supported the budget and 2,428 opposed it.
Portland’s approved budget for the 2023-24 school year is $143.8 million. The budget is $10.7 million higher than this year’s $133.1 million budget and will add $159 to the annual tax bill for the owner of a $375,000 home, the median home value in Portland.
Cumberland and North Yarmouth voters passed School Administrative District 51’s budget with 1,887 votes in favor and 951 against, or 67% to 33%. In Cumberland, the SAD 51 budget was approved with 1,138 votes in favor and 545 votes against the budget, or 68% to 32%. North Yarmouth voters approved the budget by 65% with 749 votes in favor of the budget and 406 against it.
In South Portland, the school budget was approved 598 to 273, or 69% to 31%.
Cape Elizabeth voters passed the school budget 849 to 686, or 55% to 45%.
In Old Orchard Beach, the school budget was approved 942 to 216, or 81% to 19%.
In Saco, the school budget was approved 322 to 89, or 78% to 22%.
Westbrook voters passed the school budget 404 to 283, or 59% to 41%.
In Yarmouth, the school budget was approved 839 to 284, or 75% to 25%.
Falmouth voters passed the town’s school budget 1,432 to 361, or 80% to 20%.
Freeport voters approved Regional School Unit 5’s budget 337 to 99, or 77% to 23%. Pownal and Durham results were not available Tuesday night.
The voters of New Gloucester and Gray approved a budget for SAD 15 by a combined vote of 925 to 716, or 56% to 44%. New Gloucester voters approved the budget 451 to 204, or 69% to 31%. That was a big enough margin to pass the budget despite opposition in Gray , where voters opposed it 512 to 474, or 52% to 48%.
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