LINCOLN – After months of deliberations, SAD 67 board members last week approved a $9.1 million budget proposal. Public hearings are scheduled to begin next week.

Approval of the budget came just as Gov. Angus King announced the state was facing a $180 million deficit, which could affect state subsidy for education.

Now, SAD 67 officials, like many others across the state, are wondering whether they will be forced to revise their budget proposals.

“This budget was ready to go on June 11,” Superintendent Fred Woodman said of the daylong referendum scheduled for voters in the three-town school district.

“There was a lot of hard work and a lot of giving up by staff and administrators,” said Woodman during an interview late last week. “We tried to do the very best we could for SAD 67 taxpayers in really tough times, but now it may be all for not depending on what the state does.”

Woodman said there was a very good possibility the school budget could change depending on what happens to state education subsidy and what the governor, the Department of Education and lawmakers do to address the state shortfall.

The SAD 67 superintendent said he did not understand how the state could have a $240 million shortfall in January, no problems in March and now after the state and many local school districts have adopted budgets, they are finding a shortfall to the tune of $180 million.

“Who is keeping track of the numbers in Augusta?” he asked.

Meanwhile, SAD 67 has scheduled public hearings on the school budget proposal at 6 p.m. on the following dates and places:

. Wednesday, May 15, in Lincoln, at the high school;

. Thursday, May 16, Chester, at the Marianne Municipal Building;

. Tuesday, May 21, Mattawamkeag, at the municipal building.

The proposed school budget of $9,115,401 represents an increase of $322,010, or 3.66 percent compared with last year.

The amount proposed to be raised from local taxes is $4,123,471, an increase of $115,635, or 2.89 percent compared with last year.

Proposed school assessments are: for Chester, $542,236, an increase of $37,249, or 7.38 percent; for Lincoln, $3,198,989, an increase of $67,666, or 2.16 percent; and for Mattawamkeag, $382,245, an increase of $10,719, or 2.89 percent.

“It is a fiscally responsible budget,” said Woodman. He said the initial budget proposal was cut by $434,875.

“Everyone agreed these were tough economic times,” said the school official. “We needed to find a way to get over the rising fixed costs and to get by the January fires and the economic impact of September 11. We tried to keep our towns in good fiscal shape and still have a good school system for kids.”

Woodman said the budget proposal includes no new programs and no major projects. The superintendent said the budget includes funds to create a new half-time secretary position for the curriculum coordinator and the special education department.

The budget proposal also includes $273,343 to fund salary increases averaging 3 percent and $115,109 to cover a 16 percent increase in health insurance premiums.

Woodman said the school district deferred all major capital improvement projects this year in an effort to have the least effect possible on local taxpayers.

“We are only doing what we need to do to get by,” he said.