New London — The school district is deciding what to do next after voters rejected the $40.4 million education budget on Tuesday.

“School administration and the Board of Education want to work closely with the City Council and the mayor’s office to come up with mutually acceptable options for the coming year,” Superintendent of Schools Nicholas A. Fischer said Wednesday in a statement.

Voters rejected the $82 million 2013-14 budget approved by the City Council in May.

With a turnout of about 10 percent of registered voters, all three questions on the ballot were defeated by margins of at least 250 votes. The first, on the city government portion, failed 849 to 589; the second, on the education portion, failed 843 to 593. The last question, on the tax rate of 27.50 mills — a proposed 3.8 percent, 0.9-mill, increase — was rejected 859 to 572.

Board of Education President Margaret Curtin said Wednesday that she was disappointed in the outcome of the referendum.

“I promise that the administration and the board will work closely with the City Council to come up with a budget acceptable to all as long as it does not hurt the educational needs of our students,” Curtin said in the statement.

i.larraneta@theday.com