Stonington ― One week after the Board of Education asked Superintendent Mary Anne Butler to increase the amount of her proposed 2024-25 school budget, members took less than 20 minutes Thursday to unanimously approve the revised $44 million spending plan.

The budget now goes to the Board of Finance for review.

The approved budget restores three academic interventionist positions, who support students who need extra help in subjects like reading and math, and one high school science teacher, adding an additional $222,589 to the budget which calls for a 5.65% increase over the current budget.

The increase is in line with those being proposed by similar-sized districts in the region.

Butler’s initial budget had proposed eliminating the four positions.

A drop-off in federal grant funding, including Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund dollars, which paid for temporary support positions like the interventionists, to help districts recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the district’s decision to eliminate the three interventionist positions.

Board members at a Jan. 25 meeting questioned the decision, noting that the district had stated the need for additional services has not diminished.

The district had previously reported a continuing rise in behavioral issues, disciplinary referrals and students requiring mental health services in all grades as well as an increase in needs for students receiving disability-related services and homeless students.

Member Christopher Donahue voted in favor of the budget but took issue with a district proposal to spend $35,000 on public relations.

“I don’t agree that this is the year to be putting a public relations person in. I know you think it would be more helpful, but we need to tighten up our belt,” he said.

He said that though the board’s primary obligation was to the students, they also had to consider the taxpayers, and he was not sure that the expenditure was reasonable in the current economic climate.

“I think we really need to start getting creative in the coming years because, putting 5.6% budgets forward every year, I understand these are changing times and prices are going up, but it’s just not sustainable,” Donahue said.

Board Chairman Farouk Rajab acknowledged Donahue’s concerns but added that the district’s share of the town budget has been shrinking.

He pointed to data compiled by member Kevin Agnello showing the district has reduced its proportion of the town budget in recent years, despite year over year increases, and commended Butler on keeping the budget tight.

The current school budget represents 51.95% of the town budget. It comprised 50.8% in 2022-23 and 53.2% of town spending in 2021-22.