With increased service costs at Rochester Memorial School and a lack of federal funding, the school’s Budget Subcommittee says the 2013 budget must be increased by $417,000 from last year to meet demands.

During Thursday night’s meeting with the School Committee, members of the Budget Subcommittee presented an initial proposal for the coming school year.

“We are showing a budget that needs to provide the same services to students as this year,” said School Committee Chairwoman and Budget Subcommittee member Tina Rood.

“In order to do this we need the increase.”

There are a few reasons for the additional funds, Rood said.

The school has seen the costs of special education increase over the last year, as well as the costs for utilities in the new and improved Rochester Memorial School building.

The school will not be receiving federal funding in 2013, which has helped offset some of the costs for the past two years Rood said.

School district business administrator Katie Isernio said the increased costs of running the school are reflected in the remaining 2012 budget of $49,114.39.

“We have challenges in this budget,” Isernio said.

“We are going to have to keep close eyes on everything. Except for needed spending, we need to maintain minimal spending at the school.”

The 2012 budget has been frozen by the School Committee, only to be used in case of emergencies.

The Budget Subcommittee drafted the 2013 plan as a level-service proposal, which accounts for funding based on the needs of the school.

Town officials had previously requested a level-funded budget that would require that the 2013 budget be the same as in 2012.

The level-funded budget was requested by the town to keep spending at a minimum Rood said.

Superintendent Doug White said that this proposal is only in preliminary stages and that the Budget Subcommittee is working with the town on an acceptable plan.

“What we’re working with now is a draft and we have a lot of work to do with it,” White said.

For now, the School Committee members will be looking over the proposal and send their comments to the Budget Subcommittee.

Rood said that members of the School Committee, Budget Subcommittee and the town officials will have to work together to finalize a plan for the 2013  budget.

“It’s truly going to be a team effort to get this budget in a place to serve our students,” Rood said.