Promised budget cuts by the Trump administration could trickle down into Dartmouth classrooms, making the district’s $41.9 million budget for 2018 a risky proposal.

After approving the 2018 budget – unchanged from its initial unveiling – at the March 27 meeting, School Committee member Chris Garth asked for a Plan B in case education funding takes a big hit at the federal level.

“There is more uncertainty in this budget than we’ve had in many years because of what is happening on the federal and state level,” Garth said.

School Business Administrator James Kiely said the committee can revisit the budget if necessary.

“As we know more, we’ll work with the town side of government,” Kiely said. “The state legislature is still working on its budget proposal. They’re working with the same uncertainty we are.”

The 2018 budget will add a new pre-kindergarten program and monitors at Potter Elementary School, and an instructional development specialist and reading specialist at the middle school, while eliminating a part-time secretary at the high school, and teacher assistant positions at the middle school and Quinn Elementary.

Leading into the June Town Meeting, the district prioritized a $5.8 million roof replacement project at Dartmouth Middle School and a $200,000 request for more technology, based on recommendations by the Capital Improvement Planning Committee.

Kiely aims to introduce other improvement projects, including a high school boiler replacement, floor and door replacements, and a new playground at the October Town Meeting. A proposed $1.4 million renovation of Memorial Stadium has been taken off the table this year due to limited capital improvement funding.

The committee is scheduled to meet with the Finance Committee to review the budget on April 10.