GRAY — Voters approved 17 warrant articles in 40 minutes Thursday to fund the school district at $21,151,976.

Moderator Donald Libby of New Gloucester led 56 Gray and New Gloucester voters through each 2012-13 budget warrant article that brought only two comments for clarification from the public. Several articles required ballot clerks to count the voting results. And a written ballot was required to raise $763,663 in additional local funds.

Voters also authorized the district to spend an additional $125,762 to pay for the adult education program that includes $53,000 as the district’s local share.

The next step will be a budget validation referendum vote on June 12 at the polls in Gray and New Gloucester.

The budget is 3.4 percent higher that the 2011-12 school budget, an increase of $697,775.

The anticipated local mill rate change for New Gloucester taxpayers would be 17 cents per $1,000 of valuation, or an increase of $86,881 in new spending.

New Gloucester’s share of the budget is 35.01 percent.

Gray’s share accounts for 64.99 percent, an increase of 47 cents per $1,000 of valuation, an increase of $315,734 of new spending.

Most of the budget increase is due to salaries and benefits for staff.