LEWISTON — Voting for a second time but with a lot more voters, Lewiston residents approved a $68.8 million school budget Tuesday with a big margin: 2,230 to 1,310.

“I’m pleased and relieved,” Superintendent Bill Webster said Tuesday night. “Given the environment, this leaves us with the best budget we could expect. I’m gratified and look forward to moving forward.”

On May 10 the school budget was rejected by six votes, 367-373, with a 2.8 percent voter turnout.

On Tuesday, the turnout was 13.7 percent.

“It shows the importance of getting the voter turnout,” Webster said.

A second school budget question Tuesday asked voters if the budget was too high, acceptable, or too low. The results were: Too high, 354; acceptable, 1,684; and too low, 344.

Those results show “while voters in Lewiston are very supportive of schools, there’s a limit what they can do financially,” Webster said.

The budget is at the minimum required for what’s raised by local taxpayers, according to state law, yet Lewiston voters consider the budget acceptable, he said.

Judy Rizk said she voted for the budget.

“I believe that if a city or town has good schools you are going to attract a better group of people who want to live there and invest in real estate,” she said. “You’re going to help the culture of the city, elevate it.” That will give back to the city, “in terms of increasing the tax base.”

Richard Dumont and Larry Lachance also voted yes.

“With 250 more children attending and possibly more next year, it’s a must,” Lachance said. “We cannot let go of our quality of education.”

Sue Sproul also supported the budget. “Education is very important, and yes, it is expensive,” she said. “But in the long run, it pays off. We’ve skimped on school budgets in the past and I don’t think we have the skilled workers we need right now.”

Those voting no included Christian Gumprecht and Paul Deschaine.

“They could trim costs a lot more than they do,” Gumprecht said. What Lewiston spends per student, $10,950, is a lot, he said. “We throw a lot of money at the problem. That’s not necessarily the answer.”

Deschaine said he opposed the budget because it was too high. “Money’s tight,” he said. “I just think we need to tighten our belts a little bit more. I keep hearing upper management at Dingley Building is top heavy.”

The school budget is 6.3 percent higher to pay for 64 new positions because there are more students, many with higher needs. Statewide most towns and cities are losing students, while Lewiston has been gaining 100 students a year in recent years. In August, 250 more students arrived.

Among the new students are more needing special education services.

Enrollment is expected to continue to increase, from the current 5,470 to 5,633  this fall. Lewiston schools will receive money from the state because of more students, but there is a one- and two-year lag.

Also in the budget is a new Lewiston Regional Technical Center program to teach plumbing, a skill in demand.

The budget’s impact on property taxes is $34.50 more for a property assessed at $150,000. However, because of savings in the city budget and a larger homestead exemption, a $150,000 property with a homestead exemption will see taxes drop by about $100.

Staff Writer Scott Taylor contributed to this report.