AUBURN – All but two members of the Auburn School Committee voted to approve a $34.2 million school budget Wednesday night. The proposal eliminates 16.5 positions and reinstates a full-time assistant superintendent.

Positions that were eliminated, which will mean 10 layoffs, include one of four assistant principals at Edward Little, four teachers, five education technicians, a substance-abuse counselor at the high school and a social worker at the middle school, plus other support positions.

Committee members voted to keep an Auburn Middle School dean, the East Auburn assistant principal, 10 teachers and the Auburn Land Lab. All of those were earlier proposed cuts the committee rejected.

Overall, the budget is up from last year’s $33.7 million. Higher salaries and health benefits, which total about $1.3 million more, are the biggest increases. To make up for that, the 16.5 positions were cut.

Compared to last year, the budget has more money from state taxes and less from Auburn taxes. It means an Auburn home valued a $177,000 would be taxed $46 less.

Whether to bring back a full-time assistant superintendent dominated Wednesday’s budget discussions.

Chairman David Das said former Superintendent Barbara Eretzian, who the committee had planned to hire as a part-time superintendent consultant for $45,000, was “not willing” to accept the position this year.

Her position became controversial when it was learned her contract paid her $45,000 for 60 days of work, which seemed high to many.

Das later explained that Eretzian was retired; to draw retiree benefits state law allows her to work no more than 60 days a year, but she gave the School Department more than 60 days.

When the School Committee last met April 9, it reached a consensus to pay Eretzian $45,000 to again serve as a consultant.

Budget documents given to members Wednesday included $85,000 for a full-time assistant superintendent, even though the committee had not met since April 9.

City Councilor Ron Potvin, the mayor’s representative to the School Committee, objected to adding administration. If the full-time assistant superintendent stays in the budget, one of the two middle school deans should go, Potvin said.

“We don’t have agreement right now,” he said. “This subject needs to be addressed.”

Member Lane Feldman asked what the assistant superintendent’s salary would be. When he was told $85,000, he asked if that could be discussed.

“It’s too expensive,” he said.

Das told him that salary was “very reasonable” for the job. The School Department needs an assistant superintendent, Das said, because the burden on Superintendent Tom Morrill would be bad for his health.

“We do need to have help,” Das said, citing other communities, including Sanford, that have assistant superintendents. Lewiston does not have an assistant superintendent, but it has a director of personnel, Das said. “Whether Auburn should break the mold at the risk of the superintendent’s health, I don’t know.”

Morrill was asked to list the assistant superintendent’s duties. He spoke for a good five minutes ticking off the list, which included making sure enrollment numbers are correctly counted and reported. “If we get it wrong that affects our money,” he said. Other duties include meeting with the teachers union, conducting background checks on personnel, creating the school calendar, orientation for new staff and ensuring staff receives policies annually.

“I see the need,” Larry Pelletier said.

Potvin again objected, saying the committee would be reversing policy it made several months ago to cut administration.

Tom Kendall said that earlier vote can be changed by passing a budget with some positions put back. When the vote was taken, Feldman and Potvin voted against the budget, which covers July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009.

It now heads to the Auburn City Council for approval.

Auburn citizens get the final say at a referendum May 6.