The budget for year two of the Wiscasset School Department may be somewhat easier on taxpayers, according to Interim Superintendent of Schools Lyford Beverage.

“I remain cautiously optimistic that the budget will be more appealing to the community than it was this year,” Beverage said Jan. 22. “It won’t be quite as much of a bitter pill to swallow.”

Beverage has projected that closing Wiscasset Primary School will save hundreds of thousands of dollars; on Thursday, he said that, with buildings and maintenance director John Merry’s diligence, the department has arranged to buy fuel in the next school year at about a dollar less than this year, saving about $75,000.

“We’re pretty excited about that,” Beverage said. He hopes to have a preliminary budget for the school committee to look at in early February.

Good news and optimism abounded at Thursday’s committee meeting in the Wiscasset High School library. From the anticipated lower budget and a possible new science lab for the high school, to a thumbs-up from the state on air quality at Wiscasset Middle School, Beverage and the committee updated residents on several fronts. The results of the air quality testing, conducted at the middle school earlier that day, were a tremendous relief, Beverage said.

Some residents have raised concerns about possible moldy conditions at the school where primary school students will join fifth and sixth graders next fall.

The testing by Maine’s Bureau of General Services found no signs of mold and showed the air quality was excellent; there was only a need to replace some ceiling tiles, Beverage said.

“It was a very good experience ... I hope (the results) will be of ease to some people who had concerns about the building.”

The state-of-the-art science lab eyed for the high school will cost about $100,000, Beverage said. He called it expensive but said the committee is anxious to make the upgrade.

“If we can do that, I think it would be incredible, and still reduce the budget and invest back in the kids,” Committee Chairman Steve Smith said. “I think it’s important that we make some effort in that direction.”

The department may bear a $10,000 bump-up to handle payroll and other business costs in the next budget, the first one in which Regional School Unit 12 will not be used for those tasks. The town is paying the district about $100,000 for the services this year, compared to the possible $110,000 cost for the department to take it on in year two.

But the increase should be largely a one-year hit to cover training and software, Beverage said. In subsequent years, the cost could get down to about $70,000 or less, he said.

Committee members continued to support the plan. Also Thursday, they unanimously passed the educational plan that will go to the state, outlining how the department will continue to serve Wiscasset Primary School students after that school closes. There is ample room for them in the middle school, the plan states.

The panel made plans to interview auditor candidates, and to review resumes from superintendent candidates. Thirteen resumes came in for the job, Beverage said.