PITTSFIELD — School district residents will consider funding a new learning program as well as the recently revised 2012-13 budget in June.

On Monday, the School Administrative District 53 board approved a $10.14 million budget, which is 2.46 percent higher than the current one. The revisions reduced the local assessment about $137,000.

If the budget is approved by voters in the district’s three communities, property taxes in Burnham on an $80,000 home would increase $79 to $1,267; in Detroit increase $94 to $1,153; and in Pittsfield increase $48 to $1,480.

The board also approved implementing a new program, Expeditionary Learning, at Warsaw Middle School, but decided to ask voters if and how the program will be funded.

In a presentation to the board, Warsaw Middle School Principal Kristen Gilbert, Assistant Principal Sherry Littlefield and Curriculum Specialist Ann Miller explained the history of program, the reasons why students in district would benefit from the program and the costs.

Gilbert said that Expeditionary Learning came about through nationwide school reforms enacted 20 years ago.

“This is not a fad. Programs have come and gone over the years, but EL has outlasted most of them,” Gilbert said.

The program uses more hands-on training and projects to connect students to “real-world audiences” and encourages them to care and contribute to society, Gilbert said.

The program uses more hands-on training and projects to connect students to “real-world audiences” and encourages them to care and contribute to society, Gilbert said.

Students do their own original research and create displays, reports and artwork based on what they’ve learned.

“In every state, EL schools are outperforming their counterparts. Some of these are public, previously failing schools. There are some schools that are now in their eighth year of 100 percent college acceptance for their students,” she said.

Last fall, Gilbert expressed concern about the seventh grade math and reading scores in which 30 percent of those tested were in the high risk percentile.

Gilbert used the sinking of the Titanic as an example of giving students the right materials to succeed.

“They used cast-iron rivets on the Titanic when the standard was steel. If they would have used steel, the ship may not have fallen apart when it hit the iceberg,” she said. “I don’t want our kids going out in the world with substandard material.”

Superintendent Michael A. Gallagher said that while he supported the concept of the program, it would cost $50,000 the first year, and the district would need to make a five-year commitment to the program.

“We have to do this within the budget and we have to make sure the staff gets the proper training,” Gallagher said.

Pittsfield Director Jan Laux also said he backed the program.

“We don’t do much research and development in public education nowadays. But this is an outcome-based program,” Laux said.

After some questions about the time frame of developing Expeditionary Learning, directors voted to put the question on the June school budget ballot as a separate item, asking voters if they want to take $50,000 from the undesignated fund balance to start the program this year.

Gallagher said that there is enough money in the fund to jump-start the new curriculum, but it would be up to voters in subsequent years to continue it. In the second and third-year of the program, costs are estimated at $40,000; then it drops to $30,000 for the final two. If the district wants to continue, the annual fees drop even more.

The newly approved 2012-13 budget includes the addition of a third-grade teaching position, restoration of an assistant principal at both the pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade and middle school levels, and additional 15 hours per week to a maintenance position and upgrading the elementary guidance position from a two day per week job to full time.

The next step in the budget approval process is a district budget meeting set for Thursday, May 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Warsaw gym and that is followed by referendum on June 12.