Newport school budget, union contracts go down to defeat

NEWPORT — Voters rejected a $22.06 million school operating budget, which included a one-year collective bargaining agreement with support staff with a cost of $105,000. The tally was 457 to 352 at the polls Tuesday.

They also rejected, 442 to 345, a separate article for the cost of a new bargaining agreement with teachers with a cost of $373,000.

They approved a petitioned warrant article to ask the School Board “to make all reasonable and prudent efforts to recover all, or a portion, of the value of the portable classroom which has been scheduled for demolition as part of the CTE Building Project.”

Melissa Mitchler and Darrell Jones won three-year terms on the School Board in a three-way race for two seats.

Kurt Minich finished third.

In an uncontested race, Kathryn Boutin won a one-year term on the board.