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OXFORD — Voters in the eight towns of the Oxford Hills School District will meet Thursday to act on the proposed $37.65 million budget for 2014-15.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. June 5 in the Forum at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris. Town clerks will be at the high school Thursday to register voters.

The budget is 4.27 percent more than this fiscal year and would require an increase in local assessments, on average, of 3.99 percent. The assessments range from a low of 2.77 percent for Norway to a high of 5.99 percent for Oxford.

“I certainly hope the community recognizes the increases and why the increases exist and that most of it is because we need to provide for the needs of the students in the district,” SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts said Tuesday. “We have to abide by the state statute in raising the minimum local share, which we’re significantly under. I hope voters will recognize that and come and support the budget.”

At Thursday’s meeting, voters will will be able to discuss and vote on the 17 articles that make up the budget.

Articles 1 through 11 include $14.9 million for regular instruction and $4.6 million for special education costs. Article 12 seeks to raise $18.77 million through town assessments.

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Articles 13 through 17 seek to raise funds, including $3.75 million for the Maine Vocational Region 11 operating budget. The technical school budget is 2.31 percent more than this fiscal year.

The SAD 17 Board of Directors approved the budget at its May 15 meeting.

At that time, Colpitts told directors the budget includes $225,000 for four more teachers to reduce elementary class sizes to 25 students or fewer; $45,000 for a middle and high school technology teacher; and $25,000 for a preschool teacher at the Hebron Station School.

The additional personnel not only will help reduce elementary school class sizes, but help to implement a $326,908 second-year payment for additional technology at middle schools in Paris and Oxford, and the high school, he said.

Colpitts said the district has until 2017 to meet the required Essential Programs and Services local share. SAD 17 is 5.57 percent under the EPS funding formula.

Colpitts urged anyone with questions to contact his office.

The budget validation referendum will take place Tuesday, June 10, at polling station in each town.

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