NEWPORT – The SAD 48 board of directors on Tuesday night sent the proposed $17 million budget back to the district’s budget committee, saying more cuts can be made.

At the heart of the discussion, explained board Chairman Ron Fowle on Wednesday, was whether to privatize the district’s bus service, a $1 million expenditure.

“The drivers and the mechanics preferred not to have us privatize,” said Fowle. “I have to give them credit. They worked really hard to show us where savings could be made.”

Fowle said that the bus program director, Brian Cianchette, is retiring and the position will not be filled. In addition, savings can be found in fuel, equipment and other areas.

Superintendent William Braun said late Wednesday he is confident the changes will bring the budget to a 1 percent increase over last year’s budget. He said the plan to privatize, when compared with the proposed cuts in transportation expenses, revealed that the two proposals “came within $28,000 of each other.”

Braun said the proposal was based on 350,000 daily bus miles and 60,000 miles for after-school and extracurricular activities. The privatization contracts were based on $1.28 per mile.

“It was not worth giving up control,” said Braun.

A special budget committee meeting will be held at 6:30 tonight in the central office on Route 7. A full board meeting will be scheduled for next week.