MATTAPOISETT — The School Committee approved a budget of $7,185,583 for next year, which represents a 2.74 percent increase over this year’s budget.

Principal Rose Bowman, Associate Principal Kevin Tavares and other teachers helped to develop the budget.   

Presenting the budget at a April 8 school committee meeting, Superintendent Doug White noted that “the majority of what we’re talking about this evening is contract negotiations.”

Staff salaries accounted for 72 percent of the total budget. Next year, the elementary schools will lose another class section in the fifth grade, dropping from four sections to three, and leaving the sixth grade as the only grade with four class sections.

Bowman noted that this decision was not surprising, given that the same thing has happened for the last four years.

In recent years, school enrollment numbers have decreased from a high of 506 students in 2014 to 436 students on Oct 1 of this school year.

In contrast with Marion’s contentious budget hearing when faced with similar staff reductions, no one commented at the Mattapoisett public hearing on the budget.