New London - The Board of Education tonight will likely vote on a budget reduction plan detailing $923,928 in cuts to the 2011-12 school budget. The plan includes laying off a full-time middle school physical education teacher and a part-time high school business teacher.

The board's three-member finance committee is slated to vote on the plan at a 6:30 p.m. meeting before the full school board votes whether to approve the plan at its regular meeting at 7 p.m.

Both meetings will be at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School.

Superintendent of Schools Nicholas A. Fischer said the reduction plan follows the City Council's decision last month to flat-fund the 2011-12 school budget at $39.28 million.

Fischer said school administrators have been meeting to ensure there won't be too many changes for students.

"We're not reducing services because we are reducing staff," Fischer said.

In addition to the layoffs, the school district would assume management of the New London Clinical Day program, which serves at-risk students from LEARN, and it would transfer five educational assistants from the elementary school to the program. The move would save the district $74,000.

The budget plan also reduces funds for substitute custodians and keeps the overtime budget at current levels.

Stipends for department heads at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School would be eliminated.

Fischer said Wednesday that most of the budget increase in the next fiscal year is due to contracted raises to school employees.

Teacher salaries will increase by 2 percent, but they will not receive a step increase.

School administrators will also get a 2 percent raise.

"Salaries account for about 80 cents of every dollar we spend," Fischer said.

Board member Susan Connolly indicated Wednesday she would probably vote for the budget plan, despite the reduction in staff and the administrative changes.

"Am I happy about it? No," Connolly said. "These cuts always hurt the most vulnerable."

s.chupaska@theday.com