Norwich — Mayor Deberey Hinchey will ask the City Council to support increasing the proposed city school budget by nearly $1.7 million and cutting $328,728 elsewhere in the budget to bring the total proposed citywide tax increase to 2.31 mills.

Hinchey placed her proposed budget changes in a resolution on the agenda for Monday, when the City Council is scheduled to adopt a preliminary budget prior to a second budget public hearing May 11.

Hinchey’s proposal would bring the 2015-16 school budget to an even $74 million, a 2.54 percent increase over this year’s $71.6 million spending plan. Acting City Manager John Bilda had recommended a 1 percent school budget increase, to $72.3 million, while the Board of Education had requested a 6 percent increase, to $75.8 million.

School officials had announced major cuts in response to Bilda’s recommended budget, including converting Kelly Middle School into a junior high school for seventh and eighth grades and moving all sixth-graders to Teachers’ Memorial Middle School. Staffing cuts would have raised estimated class sizes to as high as 30 students in the elementary schools.

Superintendent Abby Dolliver said she met with Bilda and Hinchey late Friday and learned of the mayor’s proposal to add money to the school budget.

“We’re really appreciative,” Dolliver said. “We still would have $1.8 million to cut, so we’re working on that. I think it’s a good partnership, and we could do more partnering in the future.”

Dolliver said if the funding increase is approved by the City Council, the top priority for the additional money would be to reduce teacher layoffs and lower class sizes first in the elementary schools, and then in the middle schools.

She said the plan to reconfigure the two middle schools likely would remain in place, because that move also would allow the school system to move students in the Hickory Street special education school to Teachers’ Memorial. That move would provide space to bring several special education students now placed in privately run programs outside Norwich back to the city.

School Business Administrator Athena Nagel said tuition in out-of-district programs can cost $50,000 to $80,000 per student.

Dolliver said she would have preferred exploring the middle school moves as part of a larger district restructuring plan, with educational programs accompanying the moves, but the budget cuts forced the immediate action.

Hinchey said she hopes fellow aldermen will support the proposed changes and welcomed other suggestions for changes to the city government budget that could raise the proposed school budget a little more.

“I think we’re all very committed to the schools, and if we can make a few changes in the budget and not raise the taxes terribly much, I’m trying to get them a little more money,” she said.

Alderman Mark Bettencourt said he would support raising the school budget at least to cover contractual and tuition increases at Norwich Free Academy.

Hinchey’s proposal includes cutting $2,900 from the police budget, including $65,581 for a new crime analyst position and another $202,900 in police replacement costs — used to pay for officers filling in for vacancies and vacations. She also proposed removing $60,247 for a fire clerk position in the Norwich Fire Department. That position was cut two years ago and restored last year.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday