GLENBURN – Words, some of them heated, were exchanged during the 21/2-hour annual town meeting Wednesday, but in the end a school budget of $5,540,725, including library and adult education funding, and a municipal budget of $1,210,938 were approved.

The budget figures will result in a $3.77 mill rate increase for the town. Figures were set at $19.72 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

It means the owner of a $100,000 home will see a tax increase of about $370.

Close to 200 residents attended the meeting Tuesday night in this community of 4,000.

The school budget came under close scrutiny, particularly increases in high school tuition and a large special education cost increase. The school budget reflected an increase of $376,350 or 7.3 percent over last year, causing some residents to complain about consistent 7 percent increase requests.

School Superintendent Doug Smith explained most of the items were fixed costs, which means there is no local control over them. For instance, the town will send 34 new students to high schools next year. At a cost of $6,000 per student, that means an increase of about $200,000 in that budget item. Federal law requires special education students to be funded, but the federal government does not fund such programs at its promised level of 60 percent, so the town must pick up most of that cost.

Glenburn, with its high percentage of foster children and state wards, requires more of these types of services, and the special education account increased by $263,000, the superintendent said.

Town Council Chairman Kevin D. Paschal was critical of the school budget increases.

A 3.77 mill increase is “hard for me to swallow,” Paschal said, adding that the town has other serious problems facing it. He questioned whether staff positions could be cut and questioned reports of low class sizes at the elementary school.

Paschal’s comments prompted resident Howard Dunn to say that “the picture painted by our Town Council chairman is we should pack our bags and move to Hudson because things are going to hell in a handbasket pretty fast.” His comment drew applause, though Paschal moments later objected to Dunn’s words, saying he wasn’t trying to paint a bleak picture of the town’s future.

“I’m painting a picture that we have to address the situation,” Paschal said.

Residents approved the school budget once they were told the only cuts they could impose would be to the kindergarten-through-eighth grade curriculum at the town’s elementary school. Already, new textbook requests have been slashed and field trips canceled.

One resident suggested teachers and school staff be required to pay a portion of their health insurance premiums like many employees in businesses are required to do.

The superintendent said the town is in the middle of a three-year contract with teachers but the idea may come up in future negotiations.

On the municipal side, residents questioned why the town pays $30,000 in salary and benefits for a recreation director. One resident suggested a moratorium on housing developments until the town decides the direction it wants to take. A comprehensive plan approved Tuesday night should help with that issue, according to Town Manager Carl Betterley.

This year the town is chipping in $75,000 from its general fund toward taxes. Last year, it used more than $300,000 to keep taxes low.

Residents also approved borrowing up to $165,000 for a new firetruck and borrowing $52,000 for improvements to the Glenburn Elementary School.