Gloucester County Public Schools will be seeking an additional appropriation from the county of nearly $1.5 million to fulfill its budget needs for the coming fiscal year, an increase of 6.5 percent over current funding levels, with the increase going primarily to fund capital projects, according to school superintendent Ben Kiser’s proposed budget.

Kiser presented his recommended $64 million 2014 fiscal year budget to the Gloucester County School Board during its meeting Tuesday night in the colonial courthouse. The proposed budget represents a 10.5 percent increase over the current $57.9 million allocation.

Kiser said the school system is anticipating a state revenue loss of more than $450,000 and a federal revenue loss of nearly $250,000. He said the system could see an even higher cut in federal funding if sequestration measures are implemented by Congress.

The proposed school budget includes a 2 percent across-the-board raise for school employees, and Kiser anticipates a 5 percent increase in health insurance costs in the coming year.

Kiser said a main initiative he hopes the school system will take in next year’s budget is the hiring of two school resource officers who would float among the five elementary schools. However, several school board members wanted more than two officers funded.

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