South Portland voters approve $76.2M school budget

South Portland voters have approved a $76.2 million school budget that carries a 6% tax increase for local property owners, according to final vote tallies released Tuesday evening.

The budget passed by a margin of 5,787 to 1,975, with residents at the South Portland Community Center expressing mixed feelings about the difficult cuts required to reach the spending plan.

Kristina Grimaldi, a parent of a kindergartener at Helena H. Dyer Elementary School, said she supported the budget after closely following months of contentious deliberations.

"I feel like we need the budget to pass to achieve the necessary goals of the district," Grimaldi said as she left the polls Tuesday afternoon.

The approved budget represents a significant reduction from initial proposals and includes the closure of James O. Kaler Elementary School along with the elimination of nearly 80 positions district-wide. These cuts total approximately $8.4 million and were necessary to limit the tax increase to 6%, according to city councilors and school board members who described this year's budget process as particularly challenging.

The district has faced turbulent times in recent months. School Board Vice Chair Adrian Dowling resigned just days after recall papers were filed against him and School Board Chair Rosemarie De Angelis. The circumstances surrounding those recall efforts stem from disagreements over budget decisions and school consolidation plans.

Looking ahead, Angela Atkinson Duina will take over as superintendent in July, inheriting a district still in transition. The planned reconfiguration of elementary schools has been postponed until the 2027-28 academic year after residents raised concerns about the timing and implementation of the changes.

Despite the cuts and controversy, Tuesday's vote ensures the district can move forward with its academic programming and operational structure for the coming year.