It's back to the drawing board for Quabbin budget.

Byline: J.P. Ellery 

OAKHAM - In a secret ballot vote, residents have agreed to trim the town's Quabbin Regional School District contribution by $89,000, joining two other district towns, Hardwick and New Braintree, in taking such action.

Ignoring a warning of significant staff and curriculum reductions in the five-town district, voters at the annual town meeting Wednesday in the Center School defeated an attempt to increase the town's overall school budget to $1.7 million. The vote was 114-36 against the increase.

Instead, the 150 voters approved a lesser school assessment figure of $1.6 million recommended by the town's Finance Committee. Voters were told the $1.6 million met the minimum school funding requirements of the state Education Reform Act.

The committee said municipal town department budgets such as police, highway and ambulance service had been seriously cut to produce a balanced fiscal 2010 budget and it was time the School Department also took a cut.

With three district towns reducing the Quabbin budget, the regional school committee now has 30 days to present revised assessments to member towns, which also include Barre and Hubbardston.

Voters here also agreed to reopen the Quabbin Regional School District agreement of 1985 to consider possible amendments to the pact. Residents were told the agreement had not been amended since 1985.