With the holidays fast approaching, Wareham Public School administrators presented their “wish lists” for the upcoming budget season on Monday. Those wishes were tempered by a bleak, municipal budget outlook, however.

Reading and math specialists, a new school generator and money for upgrading air quality were identified as priorities by principals during a four-hour plus budget workshop held in the Multi-Service Center.

The workshop featured School Committee and Finance Committee members, administrators and a Board of Selectmen representative.

Business Manager Michael McMillan stressed that the budgets presented were not final. He noted the workshop was an opportunity for administrators to showcase each school’s priorities. The School Committee will continue discussing the budget at a public hearing scheduled for Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Wareham Middle School auditorium.

Selectman Alan Slavin, after seeing the high school’s presentation, said any increases would be difficult to accommodate. Currently, officials are projecting that the town will have $56,000 more in revenue compared to last year, said Slavin.

Wareham High School Principal Scott Palladino said he was hopeful that staffing levels and programs could be maintained.

“I hope that we don’t systematically dismantle what we have,” said Palladino. “These kids are our future and I’m here to fight for them.”

The school’s number one priority is improving air quality by upgrading vents and exhausts, said Palladino.

“We don’t want you to think the sky is falling, but this is an area we need to improve,” said Palladino.

Replacing outdated textbooks with digital licenses is another priority, he said.

“We are using textbooks that are older than some of the parents who have kids in the school,” said Palladino.

For the high school and other schools, the major driver of higher budgets is salary increases. At the high school, projected salary increases are up $277,756 for regular day staff and $107,011 for special education staff.

Palladino said he’s projecting a $21,847 increase to the school’s utilities line item.

Wareham Middle School Principal Dr. Peter Steedman said his focus with the budget was to “offer a world class education for all students.”

Doing so includes a push to implement a International Baccalaureate program in the middle school. Currently, the program is offered on a limited basis in the high school. The International Baccalaureate is a nonprofit educational foundation that offers four programs of international education that aim to develop the “intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.”

Steedman said his goal is to provide the program’s curriculum in all middle school grades. Aside from that, Steedman said he’s focused on building maintenance and boosting student activities in the school, including intramural sports and the blossoming drama club.

In her presentation, Minot Forest Elementary Principal Joan Seamans made a case for hiring a dean of students to assist with discipline and two, part-time reading specialists and two, part-time mathematics specialists.

Seamans said the dean position would fill a need left after the school’s assistant principal of discipline was cut in the 2016-2017 school year.

Seamans said the specialists would help students and boost low MCAS scores.

Building maintenance was another issue. Seamans said so far this year $13,000 was spent on electrical, plumbing and other infrastructure at the 50-plus year old school. She said she’s seeking additional funds for maintenance.

“Things are breaking down right now,” she said.

John W. Decas Elementary School Interim Principal Bethany Chandler had one major request in her proposed budget – a new, $40,000 generator.

So far, the school has spent roughly $4,500 on repairs for the 48-year-old generator.

Chandler said it's the school’s original generator and major repairs were needed this fall following a particularly bad storm.

Following the workshop, administrators, school committee members and town officials will continue to work on drafting budget proposals.