SACO – A proposed $41.8 million fiscal year 2020 school budget received its first round of approval Wednesday night.

After more than three hours of deliberation Wednesday night, the School Board voted to approve the suggested budget. The budget still needs to be approved by the city council, then in June by voters at a city-wide referendum before it is finalized.

The proposed budget is a 6.3 increase over the current fiscal year school budget of $39.3 million.

The budget includes nearly $13.1 million of state revenue, up more than $1.3 million from current year. It also includes more than $1 million in medicare reimbursement, an increase of $940,000 from the current year.

Though he did not have final numbers, Finance Director Jason DiDonato said the proposed budget would lower the mil rate by a small amount, given the projected city valuation. This does not include any impact from the municipal budget, which has not yet been approved. Saco’s current mil rate is $19.38.

The proposed budget includes funding for a proposed social worker to be share between Fairfield and Young schools, an additional third grade teacher in C.K. Burns School, a STEM teacher at C.K. Burns School and a math teacher at Young School that will replace an educational technition.

The proposed budget also includes a technology support specialist as well as some technology and facility improvements including a new phone system at Saco Middle School, an awning for the walkway between the main building and the modular classrooms at Gov. Fairfield School, water heater improvements at Fairfield School, new water fountains at Burns and new doors and cafeteria furniture and bleacher repairs.

Some requested items the school board decided not to include in the budget include motorized bleachers at Saco Middle School, new classroom furniture and new projectors at C.K. Burns.

The proposed budget also includes the restructuring of current program for students with behavioral problems as a special education day treatment program, as well as an expansion of the Pre-K program, which is currently in its first year, to include 64 more students.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.