HAMPDEN – The SAD 22 board of directors is considering a proposed $18.1 million budget that addresses both rising expenses and cuts in state aid, by eliminating positions, services and programs.

The draft budget is $558,786 – or 3.17 percent – higher than currently, and represents the lowest increase of any year since 1983, said Superintendent Rick Lyons, who presented the plan to the board of directors on Wednesday.

Under the proposal, the local increase would be 5.5 percent or $399,142, due primarily to costs that are negotiated and inflationary such as salaries and benefits, fuel, utilities and transportation.

While assessments in Hampden would rise by $228,233 or 5.12 percent, Winterport’s would increase by $178,631 or 8.96 percent. But Newburgh’s share of the budget would be reduced by $7,722, or less than 1 percent.

Under the proposed budget, the district will receive $8,984,000 in state funds next year or $33,000 less than it has received annually during the last five years. That’s because property values have risen by 6.5 percent and student enrollment has dropped by 1.52 percent, Lyons said Thursday.

Under the plan, the Newburgh Elementary School teaching principal position would be replaced with a “lead teacher” who would receive a stipend for performing administrative duties in addition to teaching full time. Former teacher-principal Faye Anderson left in February to become elementary principal in Pittsfield.

Also proposed to be eliminated are: a half-time K-8 guidance position; a full-time K-8 librarian; a half-time K-8 technology teacher; a half-time secretarial position; and three educational technicians.

The budget calls for reducing from three to two the number of Hampden Academy Drama Club productions and for eliminating the high school’s debate club, peer tutoring program, and freshman boys’ and girls’ basketball and freshman football programs.

According to the proposed plan, nonspecial education summer school would be eliminated and special education summer school would be reduced from five weeks to four.

The budget includes adding half-time social studies and half-time English teaching positions at Hampden Academy because of increased enrollment in those classes.

Also proposed is the addition of a full-time interpreter for hearing impaired students at the Smith Elementary School in Winterport.

Under the proposal, $521,000 would be carried over to lower by 3 percent the tax rate for each community.

Also helping to defray expenses would be a 50 percent cut to the professional development budget and an 85 percent cut to the K-12 field trip account.

Even with all the adjustments, the district isn’t out of the woods by a long shot, according to Lyons. “Our grave concerns will continue in the second year of the biennium when [state funding] is expected to decline [further],” he said.

Public hearings on the budget will be held at 6 p.m. at the Reeds Brook School on Monday, April 28; Wednesday, April 30; Thursday, May 8; and Wednesday, May 14.

The board of directors will establish a June referendum date at its April 28 budget meeting.