CLAREMONT — Employee pay increases are among the drivers of a 3.2%, or $1.2 million, increase included in the budget voters will consider during the deliberative session of the Claremont School District on Saturday.

The $39.6 million proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, which is up from the current budget of $38.3 million, will be discussed beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday in the Stevens High School auditorium. The budget includes more than $700,000 in pay increases for three previously approved union contracts, including those with teachers and paraprofessionals.

Three union contracts also on the warrant are for secretaries (three years), maintenance workers (three years) and paraprofessionals (one year, $189,210). The cost of the first year of the secretaries contract, including salaries and benefits, is $102,860 and the first year of the maintenance workers pact is $87,789.

The School Board has said it will use $420,000 in the surplus funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, to offset the tax rate impact of the budget.

As proposed, the budget would add 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to the school tax rate and increase annual school taxes on a property assessed at $200,000 by $60. The SAU business office did not provide the tax rate impact of the three contracts.

The default budget, which will be implemented if the proposed budget fails, is $39.4 million.

Voters can amend the budget at the deliberative session before sending it to the March 12 ballot vote.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.