SACO — The Saco School Board has approved a nearly $39.3 million budget proposal to be forwarded to the City Council.

The School Board approved the budget proposal unanimously Wednesday night, with School Board member Lynn Leary absent. 

Wednesday’s approval was the first of three approvals needed for the school budget. The City Council must approve a budget proposal, which its scheduled for May 14. The school budget proposal approved by the City Council will go to residents for a final vote on the polls on June 12. 

The $39.3 million budget proposal, if approved, would increase the mil rate by $1.10, said Finance Director Jason DiDonato.

A small amount of this potential increase could be offset by the municipal budget; the current proposal for that budget would decrease the mil rate by 9 cents. 

The school budget proposal includes funding for a new pre-Kindergarten program, which will be established in the upcoming school year.

It also includes the school district’s share of five buses and three vans, which will be partly funded by the state. 

The approved budget proposal includes iPads for second graders, a technology integrator for Kindergarten through second grade, a reading interventionist at Young School, a math interventionist at Burns and a STEM teacher at Saco Middle School. 

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].