Voters in Cumberland and North Yarmouth have sent a combined $56.7 million school budget to the ballot for validation in June.
The budget was originally proposed in March with a price tag of $57.9 million, but the school district’s Board of Directors trimmed it down by 2.1 percent after receiving input from residents.
Cut expenses included new classroom furniture, bus monitors, funding for a joint enrollment study, and special education equipment.
The final proposal being put before voters represents a 5.46 percent increase over the current year’s budget.
The seventeen proposed school budget articles were approved at a district budget meeting on May 7, 2026 by the 114 voters present in the auditorium at the Greely Center for the Arts.
Several amendments that would have further reduced spending were put forward during the meeting but were ultimately rejected by a show of hands.
Some residents did, however, express concern that the budget was still too high and risked being voted down this summer.
Last year, the school budget was voted down by North Yarmouth residents but was given the green light after a large enough share of Cumberland voters accepted the proposal at the ballot box.
Cumberland and North Yarmouth voters will be given the opportunity to weigh in on this year’s budget when they go to the polls on June 9 for the upcoming primary election.
[RELATED: In-Person Absentee Voting Begins Monday May 11 for June 9th Primary Election]
Early voting for the upcoming election began on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Maine citizens who are not yet registered to vote may do so until the close of polls on election day.
Mail-in registrations must be received, however, by May 19, 21 days in advance of the election.
Automatic Voter Registration through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles ends for this election on June 2 at midnight, seven days ahead of the primary election.
Requests for an absentee ballot must be received by a voter’s municipality by the close of business on Thursday, June 4.
In-person absentee voting began Monday and will be available to voters through Thursday, June 4.
Click Here for More Information on the Upcoming Primary Election
