TREMONT — Property owners should get a surprise from the proposed 2009-2010 budget for the Tremont Consolidated School – despite nearly a 2 percent increase, the amount raised from property taxes is slated to go down.

The proposed budget for the next fiscal year is $2.35 million, an increase of $44,620 from the current school year. School officials estimate passage of the budget would result in a property tax drop of $5.27 for each $100,000 of property valuation.

School principal Dianne Waters said the decrease in appropriation from property taxes was made possible by the “huge carryover” from the current budget. The $179,900 carryover is $86,700 greater than for this year. The savings was made possible by keeping a close eye on expenditures, Ms. Waters said.

“I think it’s a real good budget,” Ms. Waters said. “It meets all the needs of students and there’s no fat.”

Some of the debt the school has been carrying will be retired this year. A loan for a renovation project in 2000 will be paid off and not be in the budget for next year, resulting in a savings of $12,500. Ms. Waters noted that all debt service on the school would be retired in three years.

Like with other school budgets on Mount Desert Island, there are three unknowns.

The first is the cost of health insurance for employees. For budgeting purposes, school officials have estimated a 10 percent increase. That figure could be lower when the insurance carrier informs the school district on the actual cost.

The second unknown is the amount of subsidy the school will receive from the state. The state department of education has not released the subsidy amount but school officials expect it to drop. The $72,700 budgeted is $16,700 less than the school received for this year.

Fuel cost for buses is another unknown. Ms. Waters said she estimated $4 a gallon for buses. The $20,000 budgeted is $5,000 higher than estimated for this school year.

Salaries for teachers have gone up due to contractual obligations with the teacher’s union. The nearly $700,000 in teacher’s salaries for regular instruction reflects an increase of almost $22,000.

Special education costs have gone up nearly $40,000, primarily due to the hiring of an extra ed tech in that department. The new post is needed to accommodate an increase in special needs students, Ms. Waters said.

More than $17,000 has been cut from the budget for the principal’s office. A half-time bookkeeping position was eliminated. Another clerical worker in the office has assumed that job, Ms. Waters said.

The $88,000 budget for technology is $6,400 lower than for this year. The technology coordinator has left and been replaced by two half-time employees. That move accounts for most of the savings, Ms. Waters said.

The school committee has not yet approved the proposed budget, Ms. Waters said. The committee is expected to consider the budget at their Feb. 26 meeting.