LEWISTON – The Lewiston School Committee has OK’d a $37.1 million budget for 2004-05, up $1.2 million from this year’s budget. Under the plan, local taxpayers won’t have to pay for the increase.

In the budget approved Monday night, School Committee members agreed to spend about 3.6 percent more on education next year, with more money earmarked for salaries, health insurance costs, computers, supplies and building operation. They also set aside $63,000 to help pay for about half of a new full-day kindergarten pilot program at Longley and Montello elementary schools.

There were no major cuts.

The state will pay for most of the budget increase. Under Gov. John Baldacci’s latest state budget proposal, Lewiston would get $1.1 million more in state funding, including $950,000 in general purpose aid.

A school system surplus of $63,000 would pay for the rest of the school system’s budget increase, keeping the city’s contribution flat.

“I think it’s a way of saying ‘We’re working with you,'” said Superintendent Leon Levesque.

Although the proposal calls for no additional help from the city, committee members said they would be happy if the City Council gave them more money.

Additional funding could pay for the other half of the full-day kindergarten pilot program, for example. Otherwise, officials said, the school system will have to find grants to pay for it.

The school system last received extra help from local taxpayers in 2002, when the city handed schools $100,000 for new technology. Last year, the school system gave the city back about $200,000 to help reduce taxes.

The School Committee will present its budget plan to the City Council in the coming weeks for approval.

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