Ledyard - Superintendent Cathy Patterson presented a budget proposal of $31,277,895 to the Board of Education Wednesday, an increase of 3.47 percent over the current budget.

A large part of the increase comes in the form of teacher salaries, a line item that would increase by $917,306. Patterson's proposal takes into account departmental requests, which included equivalent of 3.5 full-time math teachers, 2 full-time computer science teachers and a part-time instructor for a certified nursing assistant program.

Salaries and benefits make up the bulk of the budget, accounting for about 75 percent of the superintendent's proposed spending next year.

"It sounds like a lot, but it's actually less than other districts," Patterson said.

She also proposed eliminating two full-time elementary school teachers and reducing the amount spent on substitute teachers and custodians. The budget also takes into account the retirement of three staff members.

It also includes decreased costs for magnet school tuition, heating oil, electricity, gasoline and equipment.

School board Chairman Julia Cronin asked for more information on the reduction of elementary school teachers, noting that the district's enrollment numbers seemed to fluctuate. Because of the unsteady numbers, Cronin was concerned the district might regret the cut in the near future.

Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Byars said that the fluctuation looks more dramatic on a districtwide level, and that its effect on individual elementary schools was minimal.

Before the final Board of Education budget is delivered to Mayor John Rodolico on Feb. 23, the school board will have a series of meetings to review the superintendent's proposal and make changes.

"It will take all of these meetings to do the work to move this document from my budget to your budget," Patterson acknowledged.

Cronin asked board members to consider attending the four finance committee meetings even if they don't sit on the committee.

It's "important to understand where money is, where it's being spent, and what the impact will be," she said.

Patterson and Jason Lathrop, business manager for Ledyard Public Schools, provided school board members with binders containing detailed budget information. The packets not only laid out the next year's proposed spending plan but contained data about how Ledyard schools compare to other districts and an analysis of the budget from different perspectives.

"I think it is clear that we have given you more information than you've ever had before," Patterson said.

Board members were quick to agree.

"I'm already speechless at this packet. This is an amazing amount of information for us," said school board secretary Stephanie Calhoun.

k.catalfamo@theday.com

Twitter: @kccatalfamo