SALEM TOWNSHIP – SAD 58 voters approved a $9.06 million budget Thursday, cutting $190,000 from the original proposal of $9.2 million.

The budget will go to voters of Kingfield, Avon, Phillips and Strong for a validation referendum at their polling places Tuesday, June 18.

The 164 voters at Mt. Abram High School spent three hours reviewing the 13 budget articles and questioning cost increases.

Former Strong Selectman Rupert Pratt suggested that the $3,229,980 for teacher salaries be cut by $120,000, but voters disagreed. He also suggested the amount for school administration be cut by $70,000. Strong Selectman Mike Pond said adding more administrative costs was unnecessary. Voters agreed.

“Mr. (Quenten) Clark was the (district) superintendent, and the principal and maintenance director in Phillips,” Pond noted of Clark’s multiple roles.

Phillips Selectman Andy Phillips asked that the $1, 726,147 special education budget be cut by $140,000, but the amendment failed.

Pond successfully convinced voters to cut $40,000 from the system administration account.

Voters also approved cutting $20,000 from the transportation budget.

Voters challenged the need to pay for a full-time district social worker and a full-time principal for each of the three elementary schools.

Many of the added costs are beyond the board’s control, Superintendent Brenda Stevens said.

They include Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal to shift a portion of funding teacher retirement from the state to SAD 58, the Affordable Care Act that requires the district to offer insurance coverage for employees working more than 30 hours a week, federal budget cuts that shifted salaries for special education positions to the district, and a 3 percent increase in health insurance rates.

“That’s less than the 13 percent that some districts had to face,” she said.

Merv Wilson, a Kingfield selectman, said the board hasn’t made the hard choices, even if it means cutting staff or even closing a school.

“If Kingfield leaves, the high school closes,” he said. “Right now, our backs are against the wall.”