ANDOVER – The Board of Directors for SAD 44 Monday unanimously approved a $9,339,839 budget proposal for fiscal year 2005. That is an increase of $432,749 over the $8,907,090 approved for fiscal year 2004 or an increase of 4.86 percent.

That figure, however, will be reduced by the use of state reimbursements, surplus and revenues. So the local share among the five towns that make up the district (Andover, Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock) will be $5,882,808, including total funding of the adult education program.

The local share breaks down per town as follows: Andover, $487,097; Bethel, $2,027,804; Greenwood, $644,167; Newry, $1,981,918; Woodstock, $741,822.

Superintendent David Murphy said it has been a tough process this year, “and with not knowing exactly how the state would be contributing through its education funding plans, the process was made even more difficult.”

“I also learned on Thursday last week, after we had had our final budget workshop, that the state at the last hour voted to reduce state education funding by $10 million for the coming year. This impacts our planned proposal by about $25,000 to $26,000. But to offset the state decrease we have decided to maximize our scheduling by eliminating a half-time math position at Telstar High School and incorporating it into the science department. By doing this, we do not have to change our bottom-line budget figure,” said Murphy.

In detailing the impact of the cut in state funding, Business Manager Bruce Powell said, “The exact difference the state cut means to us $25,320. People have to remember that revenues are always estimates. We make changes or adjustments as needed throughout the year so this change in state reimbursement is not something we can’t work with as the year goes on.”

The next step in the budget process will be the districtwide public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, May 24, in the library at Telstar High School in Bethel.

Voters of the five towns will vote on the proposed budget Tuesday, June 8.