Gloucester Public Schools Superintendent Walter Clemons introduced a $58,867,325 operating budget plan for fiscal year 2018, up from the current $55,889,353 operating budget. The budget plan was presented during the Gloucester School Board’s work session on Feb. 23.

Clemons and the school board discussed the budget plan with county supervisors during a joint meeting of the boards on Tuesday. 

The proposed FY2018 plan would require $26,140,935 in county funding, an increase of $2,371,947 from the current local contribution of $23,768,988. The current local contribution includes an added $250,000 that helped offset the increased cost of health insurance in FY2017. 

During his presentation, Clemons discussed increased expenditures totaling $3,873,253 for FY2018, including $1,350,443 in projected health insurance rate increases and $1,336,579 in compensation increases. He also discussed $1,501,306 in cost offsets that would leave the local contribution request at $2,371,...