SALEM -- The SAD 58 School Board has approved a $9.8 million budget for the next fiscal year.

Nearly $1 million in cuts from the original $10.7 million budget came from staff reductions, non-renewal of contracts and cuts in sports programs and transportation. The board voted to approve the budget unanimously. Members will present the final figures for public review on June 5 and a vote on June 10.

"We are combining third and fourth grades at the Stratton School, and we won't be filling a high school English teacher's position," Superintendent Quenten Clark said. "We will eliminate a speech therapist's and general music teacher's position, reduce the high school librarian to half-time, and have the high school nurse cover other schools."

The school district will rely on volunteer officials for baseball and softball games, saving $5,000. The district will try to find volunteer umpires through the University of Maine and recreation departments. The board reduced the bus rides for students who stay after school from four nights a week to two nights a week. Students who want to stay for school activities will have to find other transportation.

Although the coming year's budget appears only slightly higher than last year's, Clark is concerned that taxpayers have the true picture. Clark said cuts came from increases in fuel oil and the loss of $170,000 of federal funding and $500,000 of state aid.

"This year's budget doesn't give taxpayers a good comparison over last year's," he said. "Last year, we returned money we'd set aside for summer teaching salaries, so it may appear that things haven't changed much."

In other news, the school board agreed to purchase a wood pellet boiler for Mt. Abram High School. Board Chairman Gerald Pond and Maintenance Director Dan Worcester met with Geneva Energy Maine in Strong, which plans to begin producing wood pellets this fall.

"Depending on how long and how cold our winters are, we could pay for the boiler in two or three years, but we're postponing a school bus purchase to make this work," Clark said.