Norwich — A plan to restructure the city’s two middle schools by combining seventh and eighth grades at Kelly Middle School and placing all sixth graders at Teachers’ Memorial Middle School is moving forward, with consensus approval expressed by the Board of Education budget committee.

Superintendent Abby Dolliver outlined an updated list of proposed cuts needed to the board’s $75.8 million budget to reach the $74 million level now under consideration by the City Council. By charter, the council must vote on a final city budget by June 8.

Dolliver asked the Budget Expenditure Committee to give guidance on the proposed restructuring, because plans have to be made as the end of the school year approaches. Dolliver said already the annual spring fifth-grade trips to visit the two middle schools have been canceled.

Part of the plan calls for moving the 24 elementary-age special education students now at Hickory Street School to the first floor at Teachers’ Memorial. That move would allow space to bring an estimated eight students now placed in private programs outside the city back to Norwich — in some cases saving nearly $100,000 per student in tuition costs.

The combined savings for the restructuring of middle schools and special education would be $1.4 million — including cutting six middle school teachers in the move. The vacated Hickory Street building would be used for offices and perhaps the school system’s technology program, Dolliver said.

Board member Jesshua Ballaro expressed the strongest support for the middle school moves, saying the city has had a divide between the students who attended Kelly and those who go to Teachers’ Memorial. With the proposed restructuring, all students would experience both schools.

“I think it’s a positive thing,” she said. “I’m for a more unified school.”

Dolliver said Teachers’ Memorial Principal Alexandria Lazzari has been researching educational programs for all-sixth grade schools, and Norwich school officials plan to visit a sixth-grade academy in Glastonbury in the coming weeks.

The reduction of eight paraprofessionals would save $300,000 in the budget.

School officials are still worried that the City Council could reverse last week’s decision to add $1.7 million to the school budget, bringing it back down to the 1 percent increase proposed by Acting City Manager John Bilda, a total of $72.3 million. That would require another $1.7 million in cuts.

At a previous budget expenditure committee meeting, Dolliver proposed eliminating the two school resource police officers in the middle schools, saving $150,000. Dolliver said she hopes to work with Norwich police to see if the community policing officers could make regular stops at city schools to foster positive relationships with students and families.

Budget committee members supported the proposed reductions with some hesitation. Board member Dennis Slopak said he could not support a budget that did not restore middle school world languages and instrumental music — eliminated several years ago in budget cuts.

Dolliver said school officials found an alternative by placing the necessary $118,846 for two world language teachers into the district’s latest state Alliance District grant application for next year. The total Alliance District application is for $3.87 million, but Dolliver cautioned that the application must be approved by the state Department of Education, and state funding must still be made available.

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