MINOT – School officials are hoping that residents will approve additional classroom space this year. At the same time, they are expecting less money to come from local sources for the Minot Consolidated School’s 2004-05 budget.

The school budget, subject to voter approval at the March 6 town meeting, shows a decrease of $76,817 in local revenue. However, increases from state and other sources should boost the total revenue by $236,981 for a total of $3.16 million, if budget projections are correct.

That amount will cover proposed increases for pay raises, liability insurance, legal and auditing services, and high school tuitions, among other items.

Areas receiving cuts include the Office of the Superintendent, the school’s library operations, and computer equipment. Total expenditures also are proposed at $3.16 million. The current year’s budget was approved last spring at $2.93 million.

“We had already made major cuts in the budget so that we could have a smooth process,” said Principal Don Bilodeau. “I only had a couple of optional proposals, but even those got cut out.”

The school principal said he had suggested enlarging and repaving the parking lot. However, school and budget committee members felt that capital improvements would take away from direct instructional services, said Bilodeau.

One of the least funded but most used areas is the school’s library. The proposed budget reflects $529 less in library supplies and $307 less in audio/visual supplies and services. Funding for books remained constant at $2,000.

Approval of a portable classroom space proposal would alleviate multiple and simultaneous uses of the already cramped library and nurse’s station, Bilodeau said. Currently, some computer and Title I instruction occurs in the library, he said.

“The portables would relieve the stresses that spaces used for duplicate services would provide,” said Bilodeau. “Right now, we are compromising our programs, and we are also compromising the confidentiality of some of our students receiving services.”

The extra portable space would provide for a new library and classrooms for the fourth and fifth grades. That would free up four classrooms for special education instruction, and physical and occupational therapy, the principal said.

Earlier this year, the School Committee endorsed a proposal to add 9,550 square feet of modular classroom space. The committee will be asking the town on March 6 for $22,073 a year for a maximum of 10 years to pay for the portables. The Budget Committee has recommended that no money be approved, according to the warrant article.

The extra portable space came up for town approval at last year’s town meeting but was defeated.

“I think a lot of people thought that the portables had already been approved and didn’t bother to come to town meeting,” said School Committee Chairwoman Lisa Bridgham. “I will be curious to see what happens this year.”

The School Committee this year declined to sponsor a proposal to provide a fine arts center and gymnasium for $1.8 million without financing costs. An independent effort by the Minot Citizen Coalition for the Performing Arts Facility managed to place the proposal for a referendum on March 5.