LEE – About 30 residents of the four towns served by SAD 30 on Tuesday approved a $3.4 million school budget.

The budget of $3,439,266 represents an increase of $98,389, or 2.9 percent, compared with last year.

The amount to be raised by district taxpayers is $1,077,724, an increase of $50,355, or 4.9 percent, compared with last year.

Superintendent Jeff Fish said one teaching position at the Lee-Winn Elementary School was cut to reflect declining enrollment. The person holding the cut position won’t lose his job, but through staff transfers may hold another job.

The budget includes $18,800 for the school district’s first payment to install a new roof on Mount Jefferson Junior High School in Lee. Fish said the total project would cost $578,000. It will be funded through the Department of Education’s Revolving Loan Program. SAD 30 taxpayers won’t have to pay back $389,000 of the loan. The remaining $189,000 will be paid back interest-free during a 10-year period.

One of the largest budget increases is for special education. Approved was $398,155, an increase of $114,150 compared with last year.

Fish said the program was not being expanded, but officials are more accurately budgeting for true costs.

He said the budget includes about $35,000 for increased health insurance costs.

One of the largest budget decreases is in the food services accounts. Proposed is $48,499, a decrease of $58,157 compared with last year’s $106,656.

Fish said in past years the food services accounts were underbudgeted to a point it ran up a debt.

Last year the board appropriated a significant amount of money to help clean up the old debt, which will be wiped out in two years.

The budget provides funds for contractual pay increases averaging between 2 percent and 2.5 percent and includes funds for a few pay adjustments.

Approved school assessments are:

. Lee, $577,433, an increase of $32,466.

. Springfield, $217,765, an increase of $11,829.

. Webster, $60,708, a decrease of $1,907.

. Winn, $221,817, an increase of $7,966.