SAD 4 residents vote down $9.5M budget

GUILFORD – For the second time in as many months, SAD 4 residents voted down a proposed 2025-26 budget. At the July 24 referendum a $9,531,320 budget was turned down via a 234-207 count across the six district communities.

The budget was favored in Guilford at 75-24, Sangerville at 46-42 and Wellington at 15-8. There were more no than yes votes in Abbot at 59-23, Cambridge at 41-20 and Parkman at 60-28 as there were 27 more total no votes.

The school board is scheduled to have a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School to certify the votes. Discussion on the next steps to bring forward a third 2025-26 budget will likely take place.

In June SAD 4 residents voted down a  proposed 2025-26 budget of $9,752,463 — via a count of 282-187 on the ballot across its half dozen communities. After that, district officials developed a second budget down by more than $221,000 than what was first brought to the polls.

Reductions in the second budget include approximately $94,000 in the Learning for Life program, $72,000 for not filling an IT position with the employee having left the district and $38,000 for no longer having some assistant sports coaches that were set to be added in 2025-26.

The $9.5 million figure was up $283,929 or 3.07 percent from the 2024-25 budget of $9,247,391. The $9.75 million figure voted down in June represented a 5.46 percent increase from last year.