Gorham school officials Monday review the preliminary $37.8 million school budget proposed by Superintendent Heather Perry.

Gorham parents pack a Gorham school budget workshop Monday. A public forum to discuss the budget is set for 6:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, in the municipal center, 75 South St.

GORHAM — School officials are looking to trim costs to make their proposed $37.8 school spending plan a better sell to the Town Council.

As it stands now, Superintendent Heather Perry’s preliminary budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is up $1.5 million, or 4.3 percent, from this year’s $36.3 million. School officials are scrutinizing spending to potentially trim about $577,000, reflecting a 3 percent increase.

The budget as proposed would raise the local amount to support education from $17.3 million to $18.7 million, representing a $1.4 million increase. It would raise the tax rate 81 cents; the property tax on a $200,000 home would go up by $162.

School Committee Chairman Darryl Wright at Monday’s budget workshop advocated an increase in the school budget be capped at 3 percent.

The School Committee hasn’t agreed yet to cut the preliminary budget. School Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Libby after Monday’s meeting said the board wants to “see what it would take to get there.”

Perry is earmarking $1 million for capital improvements, up nearly $400,000 or a 65.2 percent increase from $600,000.

The general purpose aid from the state is expected to be up $263,000 from $16.3 million to $16.6 million.

There was no time for public comment allotted in the workshop this week.

The next budget workshop is set for 7 p.m. Monday, April 3, at the Gorham Municipal Center, 75 South St.

Monday’s meeting was packed with parents. Wright said a public forum for budget talk will be held 6:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5.

The School Committee will likely vote on the budget Wednesday, April 12.

Parents turned out Monday to hear about budgeting plans, curriculum changes, and a potential future reconfiguration of the three K-5 schools as enrollment projections are upward bound.

A committee is seeking a long-term solution for reconfiguring the Great Falls, Narragansett and Village elementary schools. A reconfiguration could involve shuffling a few students.

Some students could be reassigned to other schools for the 2017-18 year if the proposed budget passes as is, Perry said Tuesday. “We will work diligently to minimize the potential impact of these moves to families who have already established themselves within either school,” Perry said.

Parents could appeal any move, Wright said.

Enrollment at the three schools is expected to rise from 1,219 to a projected 1,325 for the 2018-19 school year.

Great Falls, now with 520 students, is expected to see 534 next year and  Narragansett’s enrollment will go from 239 to 244. The number of students at   Village is projected to dip from 460 to 442.

Elementary school budgeting discussions Monday included the possibility of  adding foreign languages, implementing new periods for teachers’ planning, and including band in the curriculum.

Libby, who emphasized he likes the idea of offering band, did air concerns about adding it the elementary level.

Following the meeting, Cynthia Remick, principal at Narragansett School, said that all fifth-graders at the three elementary schools this year had a Mandarin Chinese course, which was funded through a grant.

Robert Lowell can be reached at 854-2577 or [email protected]