CAPE ELIZABETH – The Cape Elizabeth School District workforce could remain largely untouched in upcoming school year, thanks to the $21.12 million budget unanimously approved last week by the Cape Elizabeth School Board with little fanfare.

The board’s recommended budget will be presented to the Town Council’s Finance Committee on Wednesday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m., in the council chambers in Town Hall. From there the budget will become pat of the overall municipal budget, which will be the topic of a public hearing on April 25.

The school budget, which lacks the $925,170 in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, includes 2.2 percent more in spending, or $447,719. The loss of the stimulus money, which was used to fund salary and benefits and the operational costs at the three schools, was offset by an additional $344,500 in state revenue and $452,524 in federal jobs money.

The budget cuts 1.5 positions at Pond Cove Elementary School due to enrollment projections, not budget constraints.

“Cape Elizabeth is no stranger to lean budgets and I am happy to say we are not facing a year of many cuts like in years past,” said Mary Townsend, School Board chairwoman.

To do so, however, the budget will increase the reliance on taxpayers by 1.9 percent, resulting in an additional $85 in taxes for the average taxpayer.

Board member David Hillman said the district was able to offer a budget that maintained staffing and programming by relying on $300,000 in its contingency fund, a reserve account for emergencies or unforeseen expenditures.

The district is allocating $70,000 to the fund for next school year. Interim Superintendent Ken Murphy said when economic times improve, it would be prudent for the district to increase that total to at least $140,000 to $210,000.

The greatest increases in spending from this year’s budget, Murphy said, were an additional $406,000 in staff salary and benefits; $108,617 in building maintenance, including $66,000 in heating oil and $32,000 for a new boiler at the high school; $48,000 for an out-of-district instructional support placement; $18,000 in athletics for uniform replacement and trainer costs; and $21,000 in transportation costs.

“We think it is a budget that reflects the economic times and at the same time maintains what’s a pretty top-notch school system,” Murphy said.

Hillman said while he supports the budget, he feels the town’s taxpayers could support a greater net impact to the tax bill.

Board member Kate Williams-Hewitt said the budget would never have been made possible without collaboration from town and school officials.

“This work has been in the one-town concept,” she said. “We have really worked hard together to hopefully bring in a low enough budget that the town will support while maintaining our schools.”

John Christie said the budget does a good job striking a balance between the needs of the district and the needs of the taxpayers.

“I think the town has a lot to be thankful for with this budget, which asks for a very modest increase to the tax rate while maintaining the programming and services that make the district outstanding,” he said.