Unlike other surrounding towns, Bow residents approved money for teacher raises at the recent School District Meeting, in addition to the remainder of the warrant.

During the Friday, March 13, meeting, voters approved the school’s $24.3 million operating budget, a decrease of slightly less than 1 percent from last year.

The budget reduced the estimated tax rate by 48 cents, while the new teacher contracts increased the rate by an estimated 29 cents, so in total the projected reduction on the town’s tax rate will be 19 cents per $1,000 assessed value.

Superintendent of Schools Dean Cascadden said he was happy with what he called a civil and well-attended meeting, and also with the passing of the contract.

“I wasn’t surprised, I was relieved. I didn’t think it was 100 percent going in, but it was a very good contract,” said Cascadden of the 2.25 percent raise.

“We worked very hard on those contracts, and some of the other areas that weren’t money areas were very important to us in the district.”

About 75 percent of the operating budget is made up of teacher salaries, and during the meeting the vote was not close, passing 332-119.

In school and town meetings in the recent past, voters have elected to make cuts in operating budgets, and while there was an amendment to do so again this year, it was voted down.

Cascadden said the approval of the budget was likely a sign from taxpayers that the recommended budget was within reason.

“In my mind, we tried very hard to come in with a reasonable budget that responded to the economic times,” said Cascadden.

“In light of the times, we had something responsible where people saw it may not have been down as much as they’d have liked, but they were able to see that it was something they could live with.”