OLD ORCHARD BEACH — A $15 million proposed Old Orchard Beach school budget will go to voters in June for a final vote.

The school board for Regional School Unit 23, covering the town of Old Orchard Beach, voted on a $14.8 million school budget proposal for fiscal year 2020.

The budget proposal went for a second vote at a town-meeting style forum at Old Orchard Beach High School on Tuesday.

With about 65 people in attendence, residents at the meeting voted to approve an additional $210,000 in the budget, bringing the budget proposal to about $15 million.

The $14.8 million budget would have increased local property taxes on a $200,000 home about $18 annually, in addition to any impact from the yet to be approved town budget, according to school officials. The school district’s business manager was out of the office and the tax impact on the additional $210,000 was unavailable by press time.

The proposed budget will now go to a town-wide public vote at the polls on June 11. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Old Orchard Beach High School.

The addition was proposed Tuesday night by local parent Vernetta Mariello. Mariello said she thought students could benefit from two more special education teachers.

Athletic Director Dean Plante, who is also an Old Orchard Beach Resident, said people needed to think carefully before making any additions.

“I don’t think its prudent to add to a budget that is already increasing,” he said.

The proposed budget, prior to the additional $210,000, included the addition of a full-time guidance counselor, school health aid and behavioral health educational technition at Jameson Elementary School and two full-time student support postions at Loranger Memorial School.

The budget, as originally proposed, also eliminated two special education teaching positions and replaced them with four special education educational techinitions. It also included an addition of a full-time support personnell in operations and transportation.

According to information from the Maine Department of Education, the state-wide average per-pupil cost in Maine for the 2017-2018 school year was about $12,200. The per-pupil cost in Old Orchard Beach averaged out to about $16,800, with per-pupil costs for elementary students at $16,400 and high school students at $17,800.

Student enrollment in RSU 23 has gone down 51 students over a four-year period, said Superintendent of Schools John Suttie. In the 2015-2016 school year, there were 758 students district-wide. In the 2018-2019 school year, there were 707 students.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.