AUBURN — One member of the School Committee objected Wednesday night to budget cuts in facilities and maintenance, in light of the poor shape of the high school.

William Horton pointed out that the committee has been talking about “the horrific state of the high school,” and how not enough has been spent taking care of it and other schools.

Superintendent Katy Grondin, who had been told by the committee to restore cuts in the school budget, had passed out sheets showing how $751,776 was put back into the budget, making the proposed budget $38.37 million, a 6.89 percent increase over the current $35.9 million budget.

That data showed spending in most accounts going up, except for facilities maintenance, which was cut by $44,918 from last year, a 1.29 percent decrease.

“We publicly, rightfully so, get chastised over and over on why we don’t take care of our facilities,” Horton said. “We’ve got to find a balance between programs and the buildings we put our kids in, because eventually one just steals from the other.”

Horton added, “As it stands right now, I won’t vote for this because it’s not balanced.”

Several committee members agreed, and began debating which accounts money could be taken out of to move more spending into facilities and maintenance.

The budget, which is still being tweaked by the committee, is scheduled to be decided by the public in a referendum on June 11.

The committee has asked the City Council to approve a February 2014 referendum on a new high school to be paid for with local taxpayer money. It could cost $62 million. Edward Little High School was poorly built, officials have said, but it also has not received the proper maintenance through the years because that account has been routinely cut.