The latest proposed school budget for next year will hit close to home for many Wareham students. Included in more than $700,000 of reductions from the original budget proposal is the elimination of bus service for students living within a mile of their school.

After initially balking at a $27,842,986 budget proposal from the Schools Superintendent in January, and approving a $27,427,412 figure last month, officials re-voted and approved a new, $27,134,655 budget proposal at Wednesday night's School Committee meeting.

This new budget represents a $255,000 increase from this year's school budget. The latest round of cuts includes reductions in staff, closing the East Wareham School on Depot Street and cutting bus service to students within a mile of school.

Superintendent Kimberly Shaver-Hood said that $50,000 was cut from the transportation budget and that 257 students would be affected by this bus service reduction next year.

She said while she didn't want to cut the transportation budget, it was necessary to keep classroom teachers largely unaffected by the cuts.

"We need to live within our means," Shaver-Hood said. She added that if next winter is as harsh as this past one, the schools "will make accommodations" to increase bus service.

School Committee member Cliff Sylvia was the sole committee member who voted against the budget proposal. He said there is dangerous potential with such an increase in young students walking to school.

"It's an accident waiting to happen," he said.

School Committee member Mel Lazarus voted in favor of the budget, but said the collaboration process with town officials will be much different next year.

"The collaboration should happen when we start in the fall, not in March," he said. "It's not going to be 'here's your number and you figure it out,' that's what happened."

The approved school budget will move along with the town budget and be presented to voters at Town Meeting on April 27.