OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Residents in Old Orchard Beach voted 298 to 230 to approve a $15 million fiscal year 2020 Regional School Unit 23 budget.

The RSU 23 budget, covering education in Old Orchard Beach, was approved at Tuesday’s referendum. The budget is $210,000 more than the school budget proposal approved by the school board earlier this year.

The school budget proposal suggested by the school board was increased $210,000 by Old Orchard Beach residents at a public budget meeting last month. Community members increased the budget with the intention of funding additional special education staff.

The school budget combined with the municipal budget is estimated to increase the current $15.30 mil rate by about 50 cents. A 50 cent mil rate increase equates to about a $100 annual property tax increase on a $200,000 home.

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 technician at Jameson Elementary School and two full-time student support positions at Loranger Memorial School.

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

Residents also voted 379 to 143 to continue the current three-step school budget validation process, which requires a vote by the school board followed by a vote by residents at a public meeting  and a final vote by residents at a town-wide referendum.

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