DIXFIELD — The RSU 10 school board Monday signed the warrant for the districtwide meeting and validation referendum.

The proposed budget of $36.5 million is up slightly from the one defeated in June, because the state Legislature has since mandated that all districts pay what was formerly a state share of teacher retirement.

Public hearings on the budget are set for 6:30 p.m. July 23 at Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico and for 6:30 p.m. July 24 at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.

The districtwide budget vote is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 25 at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.

The budget referendum is scheduled July 30 in the towns of Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Canton, Carthage, Peru, Dixfield, Byron, Roxbury, Mexico, Rumford and Hanover.

Also Monday, the board appointed several new teachers and other staff, and approved first and final readings for six policies.

School Board Chairman Jerry Wiley said Jessica Curato was approved as a kindergarten teacher and Kim Hamel as a first-grade teacher at Rumford Elementary School. Brenna Parent was appointed guidance counselor at Mountain Valley Middle School.

Other new hires include Craig Milledge, Mountain Valley High School girls junior varsity basketball coach; Judy Horne and Barbara Dolloff, part-time fitness center attendants; Isle Dunbar, Western Foothills Kids Association after-school site coordinator at Dirigo Middle School in Dixfield; Tina Hicks as Western Foothills Kids Association after-school site coordinator at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School; and Wesley Dunbar as Western Foothills Kids Association after-school program summer activities instructor.

The following resignations were accepted: Lucille Rossignol as Buckfield Junior-Senior High School English/Language Arts teacher, Kathy Hanning as head custodian at Hartford-Sumner Elementary School, and Kenneth Lewis as Spanish teacher at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.

The board approved first readings of policies governing bullying and cyberbullying; expulsion hearings and re-entry guidelines; weapons, violence and school safety; and annual student participation and parental approval. Final readings are expected at the next regular board meeting Aug. 12.

Policies governing student physical examinations and student expulsions received final approval.