BERNE — As it votes Monday on what budget to put up for public vote in May, the Berne-Knox-Westerlo school board may be trimming away $170,000 from its current plan.

This is despite a boost in state aid estimates and a 1-percent increase to the tax levy suggested by the district’s budget advisory committee. The committee’s members favored the increase, instead of 2 percent, by 3 to 2. It would add roughly $109,000, bringing the total tax levy to $11,108,002.

For Interim Superintendent Joseph Natale’s proposed budget of $22.8 million, that’s not enough to close a gap that he says came from under-budgeted items and unmet savings that were part of the 2014-15 plan, developed under another interim superintendent, Lonnie Palmer.

Natale’s 2015-16 proposal uses much of the same details as last year’s plan — which included major investments in instruction with additional teachers’ aids, coaches for teachers, textbooks, and more elective classes — with a few additions.

As the April 13 meeting concluded, board members Earl Barcomb and Vasilios Lefkaditis said they believe reductions in spending could be made to bridge the gap, with Lefkaditis saying no increase to the levy would be needed if further reductions were made based on declining enrollment. As potential areas of over budgeting, the board discussed certified teachers as teachers’ aids, coaches for teachers, and summer professional development, lines that have mostly been underspent in the 2014-15 year.

“I’m telling you, there’s fat to trim here. I’m not supporting a tax increase,” said Lefkaditis, who voted against the 2014-15 spending plan.

Asked by board President Joan Adriance of the importance of the new coaches in the schools, Natale said a few of them have performed very well.

“They are very good, because, not only are they helping with the Common Core, they show you about delivery of instruction. They show you how to teach some classes, and the data coach is working on trying to narrow down where our weak points are.”

The state’s budget, passed earlier this month, had a widely publicized increase to education money for districts that was tied to reforms.

At $9,344,859 in estimated revenue from the state, BKW ultimately got $181,681 more than last year, Natale said. Last spring, the school board adopted a budget with no tax-levy increase. The budget before that did not have a tax-levy increase, either.

According to the district’s website, tax rates per $1,000 of assessed property value during the 2013-14 school year were $30.01 in Berne, $32.44 in Knox, 20.11 in New Scotland, $32.97 in Rensselaerville, $1,991.07 in Westerlo, $28.73 in Middleburgh, and $24.23 in Wright.

Natale estimates that $37,000 will be needed for hiring an “impartial, independent, trained evaluator” of teachers, one of the reforms staked out by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Another added expense this year is the football team. Schoburg football included Berne-Knox-Westerlo players last year through a volunteer-run, fundraiser-driven program. This year, the superintendents from Schoharie, Duanesburg, and Berne-Knox-Westerlo have put resolutions before their boards to fund football, so the coaching and equipment can come under greater district oversight.

While Duanesburg and Berne-Knox-Westerlo have approved the $25,000 earmark to get the program going, Schoharie’s board has been reluctant but may still agree to a lower number, Natale reported during the Monday meeting.