Woolwich voters approve RSU 1 school budget 669 to 401

Woolwich households backed RSU 1’s $47.7 million school budget 669 to 401, with 15 blanks, giving the district clear support from one of its core member towns. The result means Woolwich residents have now joined the broader Bath-area vote in approving the spending plan, which is expected to raise school taxes by nearly 9% locally.

The town moved quickly to post the numbers on its website the same day voters went to the polls, alongside other election notices tied to the June 9 voting day. Woolwich Central School served as the Election Day polling place, with voting open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the town had already posted sample ballots and early voting information for residents who cast ballots before Thursday, June 4. The town also posted a June 8 office-closure notice tied to the state primary, underscoring how tightly packed the week was for local election administration.

At the district level, RSU 1’s board had approved the proposed FY27 budget on May 4 at $47,657,517, a plan the district said represented a 5.88% increase in the local contribution and a 4.34% increase in total expenditures. The budget process began in January, relied heavily on the RSU 1 Finance Committee, and included multiple opportunities for stakeholder input before the District Budget Meeting on May 26. All warrant articles were approved as presented except Article 6, Student and Staff Support, which was increased by $43,390, bringing the proposed total to $47,700,907 before referendum.

Districtwide, voters in Bath, Woolwich, Phippsburg and Arrowsic approved the budget 3,872 to 1,087. The local tax impact will not be even across the district: Bath is expected to see a 7.3% increase, Arrowsic just over 3%, and Phippsburg’s contribution is expected to decline by roughly 1.3%.

The spending plan comes with real operational changes inside RSU 1. School spending is up about $2 million from the previous fiscal year, driven in part by rising special education costs, higher insurance premiums, wages and contracted services, Superintendent Patrick Manuel said. The budget eliminates, reduces to part-time or leaves unfilled some positions, including one science teacher, one custodian and one world language teacher, while adding three education technicians and a finance assistant. For Woolwich, the vote locks in both a larger school bill and a district budget that moves forward with tighter staffing and higher costs.