GORHAM – The Gorham Town Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a total $47,535,427 budget that covers municipal and school budgets, plus Gorham’s county tax bill.

Gorham Town Manager David Cole said following Tuesday’s meeting the budget would increase the town’s tax rate an estimated 25 cents per each $1,000 of property valuation. Taxes on a Gorham home valued at $200,000 would increase $50.

Representing 72 percent of the entire budget, the School Department’s approved spending plan is $34,152,140, up $1,234,012, or 3.75 percent, from $32,918,128 this year.

The budget is for the fiscal year beginning on Tuesday, July 1.

The state’s general purpose aid to Gorham, including debt service, rises from $17,688,135 this year.

“According to the last communication from Maine Department of Education, our FY15 general purpose aid (including debt service) will be $18,137,365.02,” Hollis Cobb, Gorham School Department finance officer, said on Wednesday.

The school spending includes $552,056 to support an all-day kindergarten program for the first time.

“I’m glad all-day K is coming in,” Michael Phinney, Town Council chairman, said.

The council’s unanimous approval of the school budget as proposed by school officials drew applause from several parents in the audience.

Gorham voters will be asked to ratify the school budget in a referendum on Tuesday, June 10, but the budget figure approved by the Town Council does not appear in the ballot question.

On the town side, the $12,448,610 municipal budget increases by $357,054 from $12,091,556. The town budget includes $2,500 to support New Year Gorham, trimming the $4,000 that Virginia Wilder Cross, event founder, requested in Tuesday’s meeting.

The town’s Cumberland County property tax bill is $934,677, up $46,533 from $888,144.

With the projected 25 cent tax rate hike, the school budget accounts for a 17 cent increase; municipal, 5 cents; and county tax, 3 cents. There was no public outcry in the meeting about increases in budgets.

Town Councilor Matthew Robinson alerted the community before the school budget vote that the town would likely be forced in the near future to implement a pre-kindergarten program.

“We have senior residents who feel we’re squeezing them out,” Robinson said before the school budget vote.