As with the first two tries at a 2026-27 Wiscasset school budget, the latest offer withstood all attempts Sept. 29 to pare the school committee's proposal. The $10.6 million offer, with a local ask down 2.54% from 2025-26, goes to a vote at the polls Nov. 3.

The special town meeting in Wiscasset Middle High School's Stover Auditorium saw the most comments from Richard Lutes. On multiple warrant articles, he proposed smaller sums.

"I am still of the school that we are spending too much money in this town on what we have and what we have available to us, and considering today's climate and the amount of students, and the projected amount of students in the state of Maine," Lutes told fellow residents.

He recommended replacing the proposed $3,623,149 for regular instruction with $3,476,745. That amendment and all others failed in a show of raised yellow slips of paper.

On special education instruction, Chet Grover asked how and why the proposal went from the last budget offer's $2,716,468 to this one's $2,648,194. Chair Tracey Whitney answered, "We dropped a special ed teacher, we went half-time on a social worker, we dropped some substitutes and tech supplies, we dropped dues and fees, we dropped training and conferences, we dropped some tuition reimbursement and legal fees, we dropped some contracted services, a deaf interpreter and a PT (physical therapist)."

"Why couldn't we have arrived at that in the original budget (proposal)," Grover asked.

"We had students we felt were going to need those services," and who have not left, Whitney said. "It won't be the same amount of services ... We're hoping that we can restructure enough to be able to cover this."

One woman said services are being cut at the federal level, too, and she hoped the children would not suffer for the cuts. More attention is better than less attention, she said.

In a required secret ballot vote, the following question passed 52-14: "To see what sum the Town will be authorized to raise and appropriate in additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15690. The Wiscasset School Committee recommends $2,806,703 which exceeds the State's Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $2,756,703 as required to fund the budget recommended by the school Committee. The school committee gives the following reasons for exceeding the State's Essential Programs and Services funding model by $2,756,703: The additional local funds represent local costs to support the Wiscasset School Department school programs that are not included in the State's funding model, including costs for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, transportation, school and system administration, and special education services."

The budget offer faces a validation referendum Nov. 3. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Wiscasset Community Center.

The referendum vote is where the first two offers fell: 535 yes votes to 547 no's June 9; and 228-250 on Sept. 1.