NORTH ATTLEBORO - The school department will seek a boost of almost $900,000 its budget at October's town meeting to pay for raises for its teachers, secretaries and teachers' aides.

When the school department's budget was approved in June, it did not contain any money for unions that were in the process of negotiating contracts, including the teachers' union.

School Superintendent Rick Smith has submitted an article for $897,292 for October's town meeting, which would be enough money to provide a 3.5 percent raise for teachers, secretaries and teachers' aides.

The teachers' one-year contract expires in August. The school committee and the teachers' union have not come to an agreement, so when teachers return to the classrooms in September, they will be working under the provisions of the last contract.

When the school department budget was approved in June, Smith indicated that he would request money for raises at October's town meeting. The school committee met in private session on Monday night, as is allowed for collective-bargaining issues, to determine the amount of money that would be requested, and agreed on the figure.

With the town's budget already set for this fiscal year, there are two options for finding the money - either through free cash, which is usually certified in October and often used for capital items, or from the town's rainy day fund, known as the stabilization fund.

The request for additional funding comes in a particularly difficult budget year, as all town departments struggle to deal with rising energy costs.

Smith said he is hoping that the school department's energy conservation program, run through Energy Education, will result in a 20- to 25-percent reduction in energy consumption districtwide.

If that occurs, it will be enough to offset the $140,000 in increased electric costs created when North Attleboro Electric raised its rates this summer.

AMY DeMELIA can be reached at 508-236-0334 or at ademelia@thesunchronicle.com.