LIVERMORE FALLS — The RSU 73 board Tuesday night recommended an $18,579,946 budget for 2013-14.

The amount is $9,657 less than this year.

The board will vote on the budget recommendation at their meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 28, at the Central Office on Cedar Street.

Superintendent Robert Wall explained that a significant amount to operate Spruce Mountain High School in Livermore Falls was not cut from the proposed budget, even though most of the school will be closed at the end of this school year.

“That money went to investment in regular instruction” for 2013-14, he said. “What we saved went into the academic program.”

Among the approved changes from the original proposed budget are:

* Adding back a high school art teacher position. The high schools in Livermore Falls and Jay have each had an art teacher and a proposal had been made to eliminate one of those positions because all high school students will be in Jay starting in the next school year.

* Retaining a single bus run for all students. However, five part-time bus monitors will be hired, an additional bus will be leased, more educational technician hours were added for bus run coverage, and money was included to provide training for drivers and bus monitors.

* Eliminating the previously grant-funded positions for two high school reading teachers.

* Retaining two previously grant-funded educational technician positions for helping guide the remedial reading program.

* Including a shared middle school secretarial position.

Board Chairwoman Denise Rodzen said the warrant for budget will be signed on Thursday. Voters in Livermore Falls, Livermore and Jay will vote on it at 6 p.m. April 9 at Spruce Mountain Middle School in Jay. That approved amount will go before voters in town referendums April 23.