By Renee Worthing
Staff Writer
The third time was the charm for the Acton school budget.
The $4.9 million budget was approved July 29 with a final tally of 269 “yes” votes and 263 “no” votes .
On voting day, Acton School Superintendent Brian Beeler said he was not optimistic the referendum would pass because of strong opposition from a newly formed watchdog group called “Coalition for Responsible Acton Government.” Beeler was unavailable for comment immediately following the referendum.
When the Acton School Committee presented the original $5.2 million school budget recommendation to Acton voters, the budget was rejected by a referendum vote. The budget was sent back to the school board, which shaved off an additional $152,000 before presenting it to selectmen again. It was approved, but the budget failed a second referendum.
According to a document provided by Acton School Committee Vice Chairman John Sherman, the first round of cut-backs affected classroom supplies, eliminated funds for new classroom books, eliminated all B-team sports programs, decreased the salary of the special education teacher, eliminated the high school activity bus and reduced the budget for the school’s new library books. In addition, the principal’s salary increase was reduced.
More than $215,000 was trimmed off the second time by reducing the school principal’s benefits, eliminating an elementary school teaching position, reducing coaches’ stipends by half and eliminating the superintendent’s salary raise. Additionally, the salary of a pathology teacher was reduced.
“We also cut a computer teacher [from the staff],” Beeler said.
In addition to the cuts, he said he still had “fixed costs” to figure into the budget, including a 90-day salary, in accordance with state law, for the terminated computer teacher.
Beeler said the $4.9 million budget presented to voters July 29 was four percent less than the previous school year, but he was uncertain if the cuts were enough to satisfy members of the Coalition for Responsible Acton Government.
“Opposition [to the school budget] is well organized,” Beeler said, prior to the referendum results. “They vowed to defeat it.”
He said the coalition “made it clear” members would not approve the budget until it was reduced by 10 percent or $500,000.
Beeler said continued cuts would have had a “chilling impact” on the school districts ability to operate. If the school budget had not passed, further cuts would have put other services on the chopping block, including the elimination of all sports teams, all transportation to high schools and the kindergarten program would have been eliminated. School field trips were also at risk, as well as art, music, Spanish and physical education, Beeler said.
Coalition for Responsible Acton Government Coordinator Roger Roy said the group, which formed between the first two referendums, was not targeting the school budget.
“That is just what is going on right now,” Roy said outside Acton Town Hall during the vote.
Roy said the group of about 100  residents was formed after retired residents and people on fixed incomes complained about government spending, particularly in the current economic climate. After hearing the complaints, he decided to organize the coalition.
“There is strength in numbers,” Roy said, adding he, too, lives on a fixed income.
He said he gathered about 200 names during the second referendum vote when he set up a table to collect names of people who might be interested in joining the group.
While he said the Coalition for Responsible Acton Government did not support the current budget, he did not offer any suggestions for where cuts could be made.
“The school should be making cuts,” Roy said. “For the past 15 years the school [department] has gotten more out of hand. The teachers presented a wish list and got just about everything on the list.”
Roy, who moved from Massachusetts to Acton in 1994, said times are tough and it’s time to “tighten the belts.”
“They [the school department] know where to make cuts,” Roy said. “They have a principal and a superintendent for one school.”
Beeler said the consolidation laws have been hard on the Acton School Department. Not being able to partner with another school, in accordance with Gov. John Baldacci’s school reorganization plan means Acton will also face a 50 percent reduction in state aide.
“I thank the governor for this,” Beeler said.
He said Acton is still willing to partner with another district, but “everybody around us is going it alone.”
Because the Sanford School District has a student body of more than 2,500 students, Sanford is not required to partner with another district and can be considered a “stand alone” district. Noble [SAD 60} also serves more than 2,500 students and does not have to consolidate.
  The repeated referendum votes also had a financial impact on Acton’s budget. Acton Town Clerk Jennifer Roux said each election cost about $1,000. Costs for the budget referendum hearings included vote counters, moderator expenses, newspaper notifications and posting of the warrant. The voting lists, written ballots, tally sheets, envelopes and voting cards were also a cost.
Roux said in an effort to keep expenses down, she created, copied, collated and folded all ballots in house.
“A good eight hours goes into setting up the hall the day before,” Roux said. “Everything from creating the incoming voting lists to setting up the booths to all of the required posting regulations to oaths.”
Although Roux is a salaried employee and she said it would be hard to determine the exact cost of her time, she said elections days typically keep her going from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.