GREENVILLE – The Greenville school committee on Wednesday adopted a 2003-04 budget that reflects a 1 percent increase over last year’s approved spending plan.

The committee will present the $3,053,162 budget to the local budget advisory committee for its review later this month. That committee will scrutinize the budget and make recommendations before it is submitted for approval at the annual June town meeting.

Last year, residents approved an education budget of $2,917,696.

“I think we’re going with a tight budget,” Superintendent Steve Pound said Thursday. “Because we have experienced staff and a supportive and exuberant community, I think we can continue, during these difficult times, to offer a caring and quality educational environment.”

Pound said sacrifices were made through staff development, cuts to technology, supplies and instruction, and among board members, who are considering not taking a stipend for their work during the year.

The proposed education budget represents a 2.318 percent increase in the mill rate because of enrollment and revenue losses and reductions made last year in the local tax rate, according to Pound.

The committee did receive from the state a $57,765 Geographic Isolation Grant, which is awarded to rural schools, and a $6,471 hardship cushion. The hardship cushion was added to the state’s funding mechanism a few years ago to help districts that were particularly hard hit by changes in the education funding formula. The school committee did not receive an Isolation Grant last year but did receive a $12,000 hardship cushion.

Also on Wednesday, the committee approved the nomination of Cory Smith as principal. Smith, who has been serving as vice principal, was awarded a two-year contract and a salary of $57,213.

In a related matter, the committee gave Pound approval to restructure the administration. Rather than hire a vice principal, Pound said, he would offer stipends for some administrative duties such as discipline and curriculum work, which is expected to save about $60,000 over time.