POLAND — Voters on Tuesday approved a $21.2 million budget for Regional School Unit 16.

It’s an increase of 1.84 percent over this fiscal year, according to Superintendent Tina Meserve.

“We’re very pleased that this budget passed,” she said. The vote supports the board’s attempts to present a straightforward funding request that is “fiscally conservative,” she said.

“There were no excesses and no painful losses,” Meserve added.

The most significant discussion was on Article 18, which provides for returning a percentage of anticipated state funds to taxpayers.

The largest budget item is about $8 million for regular instruction. The next largest is about $4 million for special education.

The proposed regular instruction is $51,600 less than last year, and the special education figure is up by about $406,000, an increase of nearly 11 percent.

Another of the larger costs in this year’s budget is nearly $2.5 million for facilities maintenance. It makes up more than 11 percent of the total budget and represents an increase of $15,220.

Voting took place at the Poland Regional High School auditorium with 104 voters present. The district includes Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland.