Voters in South Berwick and Eliot approved the Marshwood school board’s $40.6 million budget proposal Tuesday.

Across both towns, 2,636 voters, or 69%, voted to approve the Maine School Administrative District 35 budget, while 1,157 voted against it.

Total turnout for the school budget question was 3,793, according to the two town’s clerks, plus 94 voters who left the question blank.

In Eliot, 1,599 voters supported the budget, 577 voted against it and 75 left it blank.

South Berwick voters were more divided, with 1,037 approving the budget, 580 against it and 19 who left it blank.

The approved budget is a 4.3% increase from last year and is expected to require a 3.95% tax hike overall — 1.43% for Eliot and 6.8% for South Berwick.

District officials said the budget increase will cover staff raises, additional extracurricular programs and special education technicians. 

Superintendent Heidi Early-Hersey said she is grateful for the community’s support and is pleased with the budget’s wide margin of support.

“We feel like we’re set up for a really positive year,” Early-Hersey said.

The new budget will take effect July 1, prior to the start of the new school year.