FARMINGTON — RSU 9 directors need to decide Thursday what they believe needs to be in the budget for next year and what can be removed and done in subsequent years.

With most everything accounted for, the preliminary spending package for 2014-15 is at a tentative $31.4 million. It is a 5.7 percent, or $1.68 million, increase over the current budget.

Directors on Tuesday reviewed numbers and adjustments that have been made since the beginning of budget talks in early April.

They also reviewed anticipated state funding of $18.2 million, which is $410,315 less than received in the current budget. The number does not factor in any federal funds or other revenues.

Superintendent Tom Ward told board members to review the required needs and priorities put together by the board’s Budget Committee and highlight what they would like to see kept in the budget for the coming year and what can be done over the next two or three years. He also told them that they will need to decide what is an acceptable budget target they could support going to the 10 towns in the district.

The board begins deliberations at 6 p.m. May 1 at the Forum at the Mt. Blue Campus, which houses the high school.

The $29.7 million budget voters approved last year was a 2.9 percent increase, he said.

If the board went with a 2 percent increase, the budget would be $30.3 million and represent an increase of $594,960. If it decided on a 3 percent increase, the budget would be $30.6 million, an increase of $892,440, according to budget information provided by the district.

A 4 percent increase would put the budget at $30.9 million, an increase of $1.18 million.

There are things that are going to be put in the budget that people won’t like but these are legitimate needs, Ward said.

The state contributes 64.1 percent of the funds for budget items that fall within the state funding model, he said. The local share is 35.9 percent. Anything beyond the state’s essential programs and services formula is picked up by local taxpayers.

In addition to the school budget, there is the proposed adult education budget of $372,111. It is $98,920 less than the current budget.

dperry@sunjournal.com