Following final discussion by the Finance Committee this week, the Westbrook School Committee could be voting to approve the fiscal year 2015-16 school budget next Wednesday, April 8.

Superintendent of Schools Marc Gousse said the Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, April 1, after the American Journal’s deadline, will most likely wrap up discussions, and he’ll be giving a presentation to the City Council on the proposed school budget on Monday, April 6.

When proposed last month, the school budget stood at $34.4 million.

Gousse said Tuesday that the budget figure hasn’t seen any “major changes” since it was proposed and discussions began. While school expenses are only up $420,732, a revenue loss of $1,157,899 has the school’s tax needs increasing by 9.4 percent, or roughly $1.5 million. It has created challenges for the department.

“Spending isn’t really our challenge,” he said, referring to the department’s revenue woes. “There are no new programs or positions. The challenge hasn’t changed – it’s the revenue gap.”

The department will receive $300,000 less in state aid to education revenue next year, and will also lose revenue from Spring Harbor Hospital, whose residential treatment program can include Westbrook students.

Gousse added that he expects the Finance Committee to make a few recommendations to “bring the final number down,” but he doesn’t expect it to fluctuate substantially.

“The only thing that could change that is if others want to see that number reduced significantly, and if that happens, we’ll have to look at other options,” he said.

The School Committee would give first reading to the fiscal year 2015-16 school budget at its April 8 meeting, at 7 p.m., in Room 114 of Westbrook High School.