Lisbon voters passed the school department’s $21.6 million budget Tuesday by a vote of 1,154-932.

The proposal was $505,511 more than the roughly $21.2 million approved last year.

Residents rejected the budget twice last year before passing it on a third vote.

The vote also comes on the heels of steep increases to the town’s property taxes to make up for a couple years of funding deficits.

The school department went into budget workshops this year expecting less in state funding because the town’s property valuation went up by $4 million. The town’s share dropped by $438,562, from $11.8 million for this fiscal year, to $11.4 million for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The Town Council kept the town budget low to account for increases to the school budget, aiming to keep property tax bill increases under control.

Several residents weighed in on the school budget Tuesday at the polls in Lisbon.

Colleen Jones said she was happy to cast a ballot.

“Voting’s important, anytime I can vote, I’ll be here to vote because you got to, part of your civic duties,” she said.

Jones voted to approve the budget, which she said she will always do. “I don’t know why people are voting for it to fail because, just make it easier for the educators, you know,” she said.

Marie Boyer said she voted against the budget because it was too high, and with too much emphasis on sports and not enough on academics.

It’s harder to get information on voting these days, she said.

“I rely on printed information and local town hall-type of situations and there’s not a lot of that anymore,” she said. “Everyone’s online and puts all their information online and I’m not crazy about that. I like in person, to listen to what someone has to say rather than look at their website.”