Residents of Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport voted against Regional School Unit 21 ending its contract with Thornton Academy Middle School for $1.2 million on Tuesday.

The buyout would have given the 139 Arundel students attending TAMS the option of attending Middle School of the Kennebunks. Without the buyout, the contract will last until June 30, 2016.

“It’s going to cost more and taxes will be going up for Arundel,” said Mary Jo Daigle of Arundel, at the polls Tuesday. “It makes no sense to buy out the contract.”

Daigle added that Arundel is a middle-class community, and can’t afford the buy out in comparison to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

Some Arundel residents did support the buyout, however.

“It makes more sense financially, and students should have the right to choose which school they would like to attend,” said Kenneth Mason, resident of Arundel, after voting at the Arundel Fire Station.

The cumulative vote count was 1,910 to 1,412 in favor of the buyout. Arundel voted 294-646 not in favor; Kennebunkport voted 316-313 in favor; and Kennebunk voted 802-951, not in favor.

Voters also said they wouldn’t accept the proposed $35.7 million education budget, but did approve spending renovation funds totaling $1.59 million for the Middle School of the Kennebunks and Kennebunk High School. Voters were not in favor of a cost-sharing agreement for future debt between the three towns, by a vote of 1,612 to 1,683.

Funding for regular classroom instruction, special education, school administration and staff support was included in the education budget.

Repairs to MSK and KHS, costing an estimated $1 million and $589,700, respectively, will come from a $477,000 grant and $1.12 million interest-free, 10-year loan from the Maine Department of Education.

MSK will have repairs to its roof and exterior insulation system, and KHS will have construction on its roof and asbestos abatement.

“You just can’t let things deteriorate,” said Gary Kerschensteiner, resident of Kennebunk at the Kennebunk Town Hall.

The MDOE will have a loan forgiveness program for up to 30 percent of the costs. The district will be obligated to pay 70 percent of the loan.

Cost-sharing between the towns would have based all future debt by RSU 21 completely on the property values of each town, in order to shift a portion of the costs from Arundel and Kennebunk to Kennebunkport. Debt shared is currently based 60 percent on property values and 40 percent on pupil counts.

While the other three articles required the majority of voters for approval, the cost-sharing formula required a two-thirds majority.

Fiscal year 2012’s budget was up almost 2 percent, at $35.74 million for fiscal year 2011’s $35.08 million budget.

Community members at the May 10 budget meeting at Kennebunk High School voted in favor of the four articles, allowing them to be placed on Tuesday’s referendum for consideration.

School board members will be reviewing the costs of education to present a new budget proposal to be voted on by the towns at a later date.

— Staff Writer Matt Kiernan can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 326, or at mkiernan@journaltribune.com.