Montville — In a unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Board of Education passed the 2016-17 school budget Superintendent of Schools Brian Levesque proposed with no changes.

Levesque’s proposal of a $38,314,631 budget, including the elimination of seven teaching positions and the middle school French program, passed in an 8-0 vote.

The proposal represents an increase of 1.9 percent from the current year's budget.

Citing declining enrollment, Levesque said removing the positions would keep average class size at between 20 and 25 students per teacher.

Student numbers at each of the town's three elementary schools are expected to go down by more than 10 students each, according to Levesque's budget proposal.

The seven eliminated positions include four teacher layoffs at the elementary level.

The other positions would be eliminated by moving one middle school education teacher to Oakdale Elementary School to fill the position of a retiring teacher there, and moving one middle school special education teacher to replace a retiring teacher at Montville High School.

A part-time art teacher at the high school won't be replaced after retiring this year, and a French teacher at the middle school will move to begin teaching Spanish at the high school, eliminating the middle school French program.

Most of the spending in the budget would go toward mandated special education requirements such as out-of-district placements and services for an increasing number of special education students moving into the district.

The proposed budget would also reduce spending on supplies by 10 percent.

Mayor Ronald McDaniel will incorporate the board-approved budget into the townwide budget he presents to the Town Council this month.

m.shanahan@theday.com

Twitter: @martha_shan