Barre voters approve school district budget on fourth attempt

The Barre City Elementary and Middle School seen on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

" data-image-caption="The Barre City Elementary and Middle School seen on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

" data-large-file="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-1200x799.jpg" /> The Barre City Elementary and Middle School seen on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

" data-image-caption="The Barre City Elementary and Middle School seen on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

" data-large-file="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-1200x799.jpg" src="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808.jpg" alt="A tree in front of a school building." class="wp-image-553702" srcset="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808.jpg 2000w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-300x200.jpg 300w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-1200x799.jpg 1200w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-125x83.jpg 125w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-768x511.jpg 768w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-1568x1044.jpg 1568w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/barre-city-school-2-20230808-400x266.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />

BARRE — Voters in the Barre Unified Union School District approved an annual spending plan for the district on their fourth attempt Tuesday.

The district was the last in the state to approve a budget, which allocates $56.6 million this school year. Residents across Barre Town and Barre City previously voted down three costlier proposed spending plans.

Notably, the district’s new budget approves cuts to office staff, open positions and facilities expenses. It spares cuts to winter sports and after school activities, which board members previously said might be on the chopping block after the last budget failed in September.

Across both municipalities, 58% of voters approved the latest spending plan, according to totals from Barre Town’s website and Barre City’s clerk.

The drawn-out process of approving the district’s budget is notable because the district has among the lowest rates of per-student spending in the state. Still, voters rejected a $57.8 million budget on Town Meeting Day and have rejected two smaller proposed budgets since then.

When students went back to school without a voter-approved budget for the district, board members said the district had to take out a line of credit, a measure expected to cost the district up to $22,000 in monthly interest payments.

This story will be updated.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Barre voters approve school district budget on fourth attempt.