Old Lyme - The Lyme-Old Lyme Board of Education unanimously voted Wednesday to adopt a $32,547,409 budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year, a 1.83 percent increase over the current budget.

The operations and program portion of the board's proposed budget stands at $28,242,650, or a 0.8 percent increase. Debt service, which comprises the remainder of the budget and is a component of a regional school district that owns its own properties, will increase by 9.09 percent to $4,304,759.

At the public forum Wednesday that preceded the board's vote, Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser said debt service will increase next year for the last time over the next 20 years, assuming the district doesn't borrow more money. The increase is related to the high school renovation project.

Neviaser said the 2015-16 spending plan supports the district's goals, maintains all academic and extracurricular programs and provides for maintenance of facilities and scheduled replacement of technology and equipment.

"We feel it's very important in this district to maintain our class-size guidelines, and this budget does that," he said.

The board adopted the budget 7-0, with two members absent.

About a dozen people, mainly district staff and town officials, attended the forum.

Areas of increase include raises in staff salaries and benefits, transportation costs, special education costs due to a slight rise in tuition costs, and a new transition program at the middle school, according to the presentation. Technology spending will decrease, since the district had a large purchase of technology this year.

Neviaser said there will be slight staff reductions - about 1.7 positions - due to declining enrollment. The district will reallocate staff to account for declining elementary school enrollment and increasing enrollment at the high school.

The staff changes include a part-time high school English teacher and additional physical education staff at the middle school, who also will spend some time at the high school. The district also will hire a technology specialist to help integrate technology into classrooms, according to the presentation.

Facilities projects include upgrading the media centers at Lyme Consolidated and Mile Creek; creating an additional playscape area at Lyme Consolidated; resodding the track field and improving its drainage; and creating a new choral room at the middle school.

A budget hearing is slated for 7:30 p.m. April 6 at the high school. The budget is expected to go to referendum on May 5.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich