WATERVILLE — The Board of Education expects to take a final vote in June on a proposed $32.28 million school budget for the 2024-25 academic year, pending City Council approval.

The school board took the first of two needed votes Monday to approve the budget, which represents a 6.6% increase to the $30.27 million budget approved last year. School officials said that with higher revenues factored in, the tax increase is 4.5% more than last year’s spending plan.

Pamela Trinward, chairwoman of the Waterville Board of Education. Waterville Public Schools photo

Salaries and benefits are driving the budget increase, according to board Chairwoman Pamela Trinward.

She said school board members were happy with the budget, which includes health insurance costs that are much less than what officials had projected. The entire budget increase is also less than projected.

“We were thrilled to be able to do it because we got great news — the insurance rate was low, like 3%, and we had budgeted 10%,” Trinward said Wednesday.

She said the school board had expected the budgeting process to be difficult because the schools last year were using COVID-19 pandemic relief money, and teacher salaries were significantly increased to be comparable to those in area communities. The negotiated teacher salary increases were spread over three years, and this year is the second year of that commitment.

“We feel really good about the budget we signed off on, and I think the city will be happy with what we’ve done,” Trinward said. “The health insurance is what really helped us out.”

She said there are no new positions in the budget and no major increases.

The increase in revenue from the state also helped lessen the tax burden on the city in the proposed budget, according to Trinward.

Total revenues in the proposed budget are $21,201,062, and the total tax is $11,081,201.

The City Council’s first public hearing and vote on the municipal and school budget is scheduled for May 7, and the council’s second and final vote on that budget is set for May 21.

The Board of Education always takes its final vote on the school budget after the council takes its final vote on the municipal and school budget.

Trinward said if the council approves the budget May 21, the school board will likely take its final vote on the school budget June 3.