Marshwood’s $40.6M school budget approved by voters
Voters in South Berwick, Eliot Approve $40.6 Million Marshwood School Budget by Wide Margin
SOUTH BERWICK — Residents of Maine School Administrative District 35 overwhelmingly endorsed a $40.6 million spending plan for the coming school year Tuesday, delivering a decisive victory for district administrators who argued the increase is necessary to retain staff and expand student services.
The budget, which covers the district’s schools in South Berwick and Eliot, passed with 69 percent of the vote. Unofficial results from both town clerks show 2,636 voters approved the measure while 1,157 opposed it. An additional 94 ballots left the question blank, bringing total turnout on the referendum to 3,793.
The approval clears the way for a 4.3 percent increase over the current year’s budget. District officials say the additional revenue will fund salary increases for employees, hire more special education technicians, and expand extracurricular offerings. The new fiscal plan takes effect July 1.
The tax impact will be split unevenly between the two towns due to the state’s school funding formula, which accounts for property valuations and student enrollment. Eliot taxpayers face a 1.43 percent increase, while South Berwick residents will see a steeper 6.8 percent rise. The blended district-wide impact is estimated at 3.95 percent.
In Eliot, the margin was decisive: 1,599 votes in favor to 577 against, with 75 blanks. South Berwick voters were more divided but still approved the measure comfortably, 1,037 to 580, with 19 blanks.
Superintendent Heidi Early-Hersey said Wednesday she was encouraged by the level of support.
“We feel like we’re set up for a really positive year,” Early-Hersey said. “The community’s investment allows us to focus on the work that matters most — supporting our students and our staff.”
The vote concludes a budget season that included multiple public hearings and a detailed breakdown of expenditures released by the district earlier this month. That presentation highlighted rising costs in special education, transportation, and insurance as primary drivers of the increase, alongside the negotiated salary adjustments.
With the budget secured, the district’s nine-school system — which serves roughly 2,200 students across five buildings — can now finalize hiring and program planning ahead of the late-August start to the 2026-27 academic year.
