WINTHROP -- The school's anticipated expenditures for the 2008-09 year total almost $10.3 million, or about $400,000 above the current year.

The budget for the upcoming year was presented Monday night at the Town Council meeting.

The school committee, which met several times over the past few weeks and most recently on Friday, offered a budget full of handwritten figures that were being photocopied as the council meeting began.

"It's been difficult to get a sense of direction and fiscal implications of where we're heading," said Superintendent Mark LaRoach, citing changes in state funding formulas and state subsidies.

The proposal calls for a little more than $5 million to be raised from local taxpayers. The state will provide an addtional $4.6 million, which is $400,000 less than this year.

If council accepts the proposed figures, and if residents validate them at the polls in June, the local funds required to support the budget will remain about the same as this year. The most recent pupil census shows 866 students attended the Winthrop schools in October 2007.

School officials, through former Superintendent Terry Despres, acting as business manager, recommend using more than $817,000 in undesignated funds to balance revenues with expenditures and avoid a tax increase.

He also said that would allow the money raised from Winthrop taxpayers to remain in the town and not be carried into the proposed regional school unit.

Winthrop is in talks with five nearby towns -- Fayette, Wayne, Readfield, Manchester and Mount Vernon -- to form a regional school unit under the state's new law mandating school district consolidation.

Depres said the fuel costs have increased substantially although the school department will be able to secure a fixed rate of $3.30 per gallon next October.

The budget also reflects a part-time superintendent's post rather than a full-time one, one fewer school administrator, one less teacher and one less educational technician.

LaRoach said that because of retirements, no one will have to be laid off. LaRoach himself has submitted his resignation and will take up a post in New Hampshire in July.

The proposed budget projects $57,000 for a new, part-time superintendent's salary.

It also lists payments totalling more than $1.4 million for debt service on bonds.

The budget includes money for a 4 percent increase in Blue Cross/Blue Shield premiums for employees. The board is in contract negotiations with teachers, so salaries are included as estimates, school officials said.

At this point, the council will hold a June 2 public hearing on the proposed school budget. Residents would then see it at the polls on June 10.

Betty Adams -- 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com