GREENBUSH – Several reductions have been made to the school budget following the annual town meeting, where residents reduced the amount of school funding recommended by administrators.

The reduction is nothing new, as residents have reduced the recommended amount of the school budget as long as Union 90 Superintendent Mike Cyr can remember.

As proposed and approved by the school board, next year’s local school budget was slated to increase by about $38,000 over the current plan.

Instead, the amount to be raised through taxes is $30,255 less than the current plan’s total local commitment, Union 90 Finance Manager Kelly Theriault said Tuesday.

The voter-approved school budget is $2.3 million.

There would have been no changes in programming or staffing with the proposed budget, but reductions have had to be made, Cyr said.

The kindergarten-through-eighth grade guidance position was reduced by 40 percent, and a contract has been offered to the affected employee to fill the part-time position.

There is no money for professional development, such as courses and workshops for teachers and staff.

“We’re hoping we’ll have federal money so that those opportunities will still be available,” Theriault said. “But there is no money locally.”

Two other large cuts were made to the extracurricular activities budget, which contains no additional money for uniforms, and the secondary education budget.

Greenbush doesn’t have a high school and must pay tuition to send students to area high schools.

“It doesn’t leave us any surplus,” Theriault said. “If any kids move in over the summer or next year, there’s no additional money.”

A few smaller reductions were made to the library, school nurse, and supplies budget lines, Theriault said.

Changes also may be made to the preschool program to reduce the number of trips made by the school bus.

“Currently they have a separate bus for the morning and the afternoon,” Theriault said.

One change being considered would shift the program to the afternoon with children being picked up around 11 a.m. and returning home with the rest of the students when school gets out.

“There is some concern by the board if this is doable, [but] we’ve checked with other towns and they’re doing it,” Cyr said.

A final decision on whether the program will change hasn’t been made and school officials are in the process of calling parents to see if they would be comfortable with the change.

“I don’t want to lose any of these little kids because it’s a tremendous opportunity for them,” Cyr said.