PORTLAND — A trimmed down $110.6 million fiscal year 2019 education budget was overwhelmingly approved by city voters Tuesday.

The unofficial tally was 10,992 to 3,120 in a record turnout. In 2017, more than 4,000 voters cast ballots in the school budget referendum to set the previous high mark.

The budget was reduced from the original proposal of $113 million twice before it went to the state-mandated referendum vote. The first reduction came when city school board members trimmed $1.4 million in April.

Last month, city councilors set the budget level at what voters saw on the ballot, though the council has no say in how the School Department spends the money.


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