NORTON -- While some town officials and several outspoken taxpayers already have pegged the school department as the main reason that Norton might need a tax override to make ends meet next fiscal year, it is not clear how greatly the schools would benefit if the measure passes this spring.

A tax override article will appear on the annual town meeting warrant, and Town Manager Jim Purcell has been charged with the task of attaching to it an exact dollar amount.

Exactly how much of an override town officials will seek in the article, which will appear as a supplemental budget request and will be contingent on the outcome of a subsequent special election ballot question, probably won't be known until closer to the May 8 town meeting.

`` I believe (Purcell) will work with the finance committee over the next two months,'' Selectmen Chairman Bob Kimball said after last week's board vote. `` I don't see (the town government budget) as having a major impact on an override.''

The school department has approved and submitted a budget that asks for $1.6 million more than there is room for, and is an overall 11 percent increase over last year. At last Thursday's selectmen meeting, when the override warrant article passed by a 4-1 board vote, several school officials spoke in support of an override, calling it `` paramount'' to meeting the educational needs of Norton schoolchildren.

`` The urgency of an override has jumped dramatically,'' school committee Chairman Kevin O'Neil said. `` Right now, Norton is not competitive. We're just doing our job.''

The reason for such a dramatic percentage increase over last year's budget, school officials have said, can be found in rising costs for building utilities, salaries, special needs education and classroom materials.

Superintendent Patricia Ansay said that if cuts to next year's budget are necessary, the areas likely to suffer would be staffing and new textbooks and computers.

`` Money isn't everything,'' Ansay said. `` But, you can't live without it.''

However, it already is becoming pretty clear that the school department will have to live without at least some its requested increase.

Calming fears that the general government could ask for just as much money and push an override into the $4 million-mark, selectmen and finance committee members said there is `` no appetite'' for such a high amount.

`` I don't think for one minute the school committee will get what they requested,'' Kimball said. `` They'll have to hash out some of their differences.''

Finance committee Chairman Mike Thomas said the panel, which has not yet taken a position on an override, is `` not married'' to any numbers.

`` We haven't even looked at the school committee budget,'' Thomas said. `` Money is tight. If both sides (of town government) need an override, we (will) have to share.'' Besides financial concerns within the fire and police departments, issues that could force an override request to help the general government budget are the town's reserve, stabilization and capital improvement accounts.

`` They're not depleted, but pretty much drawn down,'' Kimball said. `` If any kind of catastrophe should occur, we wouldn't have the money.''

Although selectmen have not taken a position on the override, Selectman Bob Salvo voted against putting the article on the town meeting warrant.

Kimball said a board vote is likely, but only when the override amount becomes official.

`` I'm not sure we can take a position, when right now we don't have enough information,'' he said.

The override article will, on town counsel's advice, include specific line items it would fund. If the override fails, a balanced budget would still be in place.

The article needs a simple majority vote to pass. If it does, selectmen can call for a special town election as soon as June 13.