A handful of parents and educators asked the Scarborough Town Council to restore cuts in next year’s school budget at a public hearing May 14, but there was none of the protests and excitement seen in Cape Elizabeth and other neighboring towns.

Over the past few months, Town Manager Ron Owens and the Council Finance Committee have reduced the proposed school budget by about $925,000 to $35 million, an increase of about 4.8 percent over the current fiscal year. The school board has not determine what specific areas of the budget will be cut.

The only other major change over previous versions of the budget was about $35,000 shaved out of the town library’s bottom line. The $35,000 would have brought salaries to levels comparable to other municipalities and increased a part-time cataloguer position to full time.

Board of Education member Jackie Perry asked the council to reconsider the education cuts, noting that the schools will have to spend an extra $70,000 for fuel next year and that children in the early primary grades need extra support due to new and increasing behavior problems.

“We had a budget request that was reasonable. I don’t think a $1 million reduction is reasonable,” she said.

She said Scarborough will continue to be a “great school district,” but urged the council not to cut the school budget to make up for increases in other areas, such as public safety and the fire department.

“I urge you not to take what is (needed) for the entire town on the backs of our students,” she said.

Wentworth Intermediate School teacher Krystal Ash-Cuthbert said the finance committee’s reductions “will absolutely negatively affect our students.”

“It’s too much. It’s too big,” she said.

The proposed 2009-2010 budget adds two new police officers, four new firefighter/paramedics and two paramedic lieutenants in response to the town’s population growth and new retail developments.

Councilors will take public comment again at their regular council meeting Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., before voting to finalize the budget. A public vote on the school portion of the budget will be held on Thursday, May 29.