TOPSHAM — A small body of voters who attended the district wide budget meeting for School Administrative District 75 Thursday approved the proposed 2012-13 school budget of $33,394,830 — a 2.44 percent increase from 2011-12.

Superintendent Brad Smith said all 21 budget articles were passed as proposed by approximately 45 voters who attended.

While the articles themselves weren’t debated, Smith said there were some residents who Thursday expressed concern that the district had cut too far, for too many years, and further expressed a desire to have a larger increase in the local contribution for education spending than the overall $98,000 local contribution increase included in the $33.39 million budget. There was additional conversation Smith said, about the school district having open budget articles instead of closed articles is it had Thursday, so that spending amounts can be increased as well as decreased.

The SAD 75 budget validation referendum will be held on June 12 and a single “yes” or “no” question will ask voters to approve the total budget amount approved at the May 24 district budget meeting. Polls in the four SAD 75 towns will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the following voting locations:

— Bowdoin Central School, 1460 Main St.

— Bowdoinham Town Hall, 13 School St.

— Merriconeag Grange Hall, Route 123, Harpswell

— Cundy’s Harbor Community Building, 837 Cundy’s Harbor Road, Harpswell

— Old Orr’s Island Schoolhouse, Orr’s Island, Route 24

— Exhibition hall, Topsham Fairgrounds, off Elm Street.

dmoore@timesrecord.com