"We have a balanced budget, and that's important," Randolph Finance Committee Chairman Arthur Goldstein said.

The budget, which takes effect July 1, is 2.7 percent higher than the current town budget. It holds most municipal departments to current spending levels, with two jobs reduced from full-time to part-time, and some added staff to increase operating hours at the Turner Free Library, allowing it to regain its state accreditation.

While the $29.67 million school budget includes the first increase in three years, it is still $3.2 million less than what school officials say is needed to maintain current programs. This is because of negotiated pay raises, rising special education costs and higher expenses.

Under the new budget, the Tower Hill Early Education Center will be closed, kindergarten classes will move to elementary schools, and nearly all regular school bus transportation will be eliminated.

The school system's staff will be reduced by about three dozen employees, including 23 classroom teachers. Funding for extra-curricular activities and school sports will be cut in half, and money for school supplies will also be reduced.

"Hopefully, this is a step on the road to recovery," school committee Chairman Larry Azer said after the vote. "I'm disappointed overall that we've had to make several million dollars in cuts, but I'm optimistic because it is the first budget increase in years."

The school budget was increased by $500,400, or 1.7 percent.

While the school budget includes negotiated raises for employees, contracts expire next month with all municipal unions except public works employees.

Much of the debate last night centered on the veterans agent job. At Monday night's session, the meeting accepted a recommendation to cut the salary for the job in half to restore funding for other positions, including the elder affairs director.

Selectmen plan to have the veterans agent provide services for neighboring towns, with those communities picking up part of the cost.

Selectman James Burgess said the board agreed last night to ask that funding for the job be restored while efforts continue to create a veterans services district.

Three attempts to take money from other areas of the budget to restore the money for the veterans agent position were defeated by town meeting.

The other job that was reduced to part-time was the youth outreach worker. A vacant clerical job in the assessor's office will not be filled.

The budgets for the police and fire departments were not cut. The police department will receive $4.6 million, with the fire department getting $3.8 million, an increase of $23,000 to pay for an exhaust system at fire headquarters.

Fire Chief Charles Foley thanked the meeting for approving the department's budget as recommended by the finance committee, which allows the department to maintain current staffing.

At the scene of a fire on Union Street on Thursday which killed two boys, Foley criticized past budget cuts that reduced the number of firefighters. No attempt was made to either increase or decrease the fire department's budget on town meeting floor.

The fourth session of town meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Randolph High School auditorium. Thirty-one articles are awaiting action and one is to be reconsidered.

Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.