The RSU 21 School Board voted Monday night to send a revised $61.8 million budget to the district budget meeting on Sept. 30. The new proposal represents over $1 million in cuts, Superintendent Martin Grimm said at the Sept. 15 meeting.

The new budget is the third iteration of the original district’s fiscal year 2025-2026 budget. The first two failed at the polls this summer. Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport comprise RSU 21.

“Bringing this budget forward, our goal was to lessen the financial impact on our community while maintaining our instructional program,” Grimm said.

The new proposal represents a 3.91% increase over last year’s budget, while the original budget was up 5.45%.

In order to save money in the new budget, Grimm said the district made the decision to cut two positions: one in the central office and one in custodial. Officials said the board maintained important student-facing positions.

“We’re always going to come back to kids and students,” Grimm said.

Two positions that remained in the budget include a float nurse and a substance abuse counselor.

“Those were some things that we felt were important to keep for the health and mental health of our students,” Grimm said.

The float nurse in particular was one position that RSU 21 community members advocated for throughout the budget process.

Martine Kalbhenn, whose son Jackson is a cancer survivor, pleaded with the community in May to keep the float nurse position in the budget.

“It is imperative that each school have a qualified nurse each day,” Kalbhenn said.

The largest financial driver in the budget was over $3 million in contractual salary and benefit obligations for staff, said Grimm.

“Benefits are always going to go up,” Grimm said.

Despite a significant cost reduction to the budget, some residents voiced concerns at Monday night’s meeting.

Kennebunk resident Jane Evelyn said that people are not just concerned with the money when they turn down a budget, they are concerned with many other things.

“Including the lack of transparency about what is being taught in our schools, poor performance by our students, and the funding of administrative positions instead of student-facing positions,” Evelyn said.

One of the administrative positions that Evelyn recommended be eliminated from the budget is an assessment officer.

“It is a position that is not needed, and it is a position that is currently unfilled,” Evelyn said.

The Finance Committee recommended keeping the position in the budget.

Kennebunk resident and Kennebunk Select Board Vice Chair Leslie Trentalange said the Finance Committee itself needs a change of leadership.

“Never in the history of the district has the budget failed not once, but twice,” Trentalange said.

If voters approve the $61.8 million budget at the Sept. 30 meeting, the budget will head to the polls for the Nov. 4 election.