SALEM TOWNSHIP — Voters in the four towns that make up Maine School Administrative District 58 will get a chance May 22 to vote on the nearly $12.7 million proposed budget.

The districtwide budget meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Mt. Abram High School cafeteria at 1513 Salem Road in Salem Township. Whatever amount is set at that meeting will go to a “yes” or “no” validation vote at the polls in respective towns June 10. Voters will also be asked at the polls if they want to continue having a two-step process to approve a school budget.

The spending proposal for 2025-26 reflects an overall increase of $761,375.05 over the existing budget of $11.9 million. That factors in $25,000 for adult education, which is a $2,560 increase, according to the district’s budget information.

Contributing to the increase are school-based professional development, school supplies, books and curriculum, and contractual wages and benefits. The operations budget includes increases in pellets, fuel, oil, facilities repairs, and contractual and non-contractual salaries and benefits.

Budget decreases include replacing a retiring Phillips elementary school principal in December 2025 with a dean of students to give the district one elementary school principal and a dean of students instead of two principals.

The Kingfield Elementary School principal is also retiring in June and is being replaced, district Business Manager Jennifer Pooler said. A couple of vacant positions for a part-time custodian and part-time bus driver will not be filled.

A vacant science teacher position at Mt. Abram High School will not be replaced but other teachers are picking up science classes, Pooler said.

Each town’s share under the proposal are: Avon, $678,469, an increase of $47,434 or 7.5%; Kingfield, nearly $2.3 million, an increase of $153,769 or 7.3%; Phillips, $1.3 million, an increase of $122,961 or 10.3%; and, Strong, nearly $1.4 million, an increase of $107,811 or 8.6%.

Voters will also be asked at the districtwide vote if they would transfer an amount of undesignated funds to the Facilities/Operations Capital Reserve Account. The district should know the estimated amount from the auditor at the meeting, Pooler said.

By transferring the undesignated funds, it will enable the district to better respond to emergency needs and improvement for all district schools, Pooler said. Last year, voters approved transferring $616,000 to the account. The funds can only be used with board of directors approval to cover facilities or equipment.