SOUTHWEST HARBOR – Funding for the Pemetic School generated the most buzz at Monday night’s annual town meeting, with some residents questioning how long the town can afford to educate its declining student body at current costs.

The price of sending the town’s youth to the elementary school and Mount Desert Island Regional High School adds up quick – to about $3.8 million, or slightly less than 60 percent of the total budget.

With the student body steadily shrinking, and with costs rising, some residents debated whether the town’s $2.81 million share for the elementary school is too high.

Warrant committee members Sandy Johnson and Sharon Howard said that the cost to educate a child is 35 percent above the state average, the teacher-student ratio is low and salaries for the teachers with the most experience – the ones who are just a few years away from retiring with pensions – may be more money than the town can afford.

“Essentially, they’re asking you to carry this budget, and carry these teachers, for the next three years,” Howard said. “I’m saying, can we afford to do this?”

Resident Michael Pilz responded and caused a stir of applause in the crowd of about 150 people seated in the school gymnasium.

“If they’ve taught 25 or 30 years, why the hell shouldn’t they get the wages they deserve?” he asked.

School committee member Eric Henry said that this year’s budget increase for the elementary school is the smallest he can remember in at least eight years.

“We have done the best we can to keep the budget tight,” he said.

Henry said that the future of the school, and of all the elementary schools on Mount Desert Island, may look quite different. The island’s workers, who often have young children, are being priced out of the housing market, and change is afoot.

He said it might become necessary to consolidate island schools.

Warrant committee member Dick Dimond said that the proposed school budget seemed more than acceptable.

“I think this is an extraordinarily well thought out budget put forward by an extraordinary, hard-working school board,” he said.

In other business, voters

. Agreed to some minor changes in the town’s land use ordinances, including requiring local building permits to construct greenhouses and temporary boat structures and to allow the construction of duplex houses.

. OK’d a $12,500 budget for the town’s boards and committees, which pays for the local parks’ beautification fund.

. Gave the green light to an overall budget of about $6.67 million, which includes the municipal budget, school budgets and the town’s share of the Hancock County tax burden.