BRUNSWICK — Expecting steep budget cuts, the Brunswick School Department will host a forum Thursday night to solicit public input before the School Board begins weeks of hearings about specific budget areas.

Thursday’s forum is scheduled to include a budget overview from Superintendent Paul Perzanoski and a public input period.

In projections of state aid to school districts that the Maine Department of Education released in early February, Brunswick was slated to receive $ 1.2 million less in state aid that the current academic year’s allotment. In combination with other anticipated revenue reductions, the state subsidy decrease will force the school department to cut approximately $3 million from the budget for 2012-13, Perzanoski said.

The forum was originally scheduled for last week, but was postponed due to snow.

Budget Committee chairman Rich Ellis said that the goal of the public forum is to identify priorities in specific areas where the school department provides instruction.

Those areas include:

— Grades K-5

— Grades 6-8

— Grades 9-12

— Special/alternative education

— Facilities

— Extracurricular activities

— Other

The public forum will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday in the town council chambers at Brunswick Station, 16 Station Ave.

dfishell@timesrecord.com