POLAND — Voters passed the nearly $25.9 million budget for Regional School Unit 16 during a districtwide meeting Tuesday night at Poland Regional High School.

Before the warrant articles were presented to the 58 voters from Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland, Superintendent Ken Healey listed factors that contributed to the $1.63 million increase from the $24.25 million budget approved for 2021-22. It’s a 6.74% increase.

Healey said some of it is due to $676,637 in contractual salary agreements plus another $355,344 in health benefits.

He added that five teaching positions, which were funded by grant money due to lost state revenue from lower student attendance due to the pandemic, were now back under local revenue.

Healey listed several new positions:

• A registered nurse at Poland Community School

• A districtwide supervisory nurse

• A teacher for the high school to focus primarily on helping students develop critical thinking skills by acquiring, synthesizing, and applying content knowledge.

• An interventionist for Minot Consolidated School to determine issues that negatively impact the behavior and performance of students and provide strategies for improvement.

Healey said $874,351 was carried over from the undesignated fund balance to reduce local tax impact.

The property tax impact on the three communities would be:

• Mechanic Falls, an $82,007 increase that represents an additional $66 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

• Minot: A $112,938 increase that represents an additional $76 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

• Poland: An $86,549 increase that represents an additional $20 per $100,000 of assessed property valuation.

A yes-or-not budget validation vote will be held at polling stations in the respective towns June 14.