BRISTOL — It took only one motion and no discussion last night for the Joint Finance Committee to decide next year’s budget for the Bristol Warren Regional School District. As committee member Halsey C. Herreshoff said, it was an evening of “unprecedented solidarity.”

The committee voted unanimously to trim the relatively small amount of $157,000 from the district’s original budget proposal of $52.04 million. In doing so, its nine members — town officials from Bristol and Warren — set the bottom line for the 2008-09 spending plan at $51.88 million, a 2.2-percent increase over the current year.

“I’m pleased,” committee chairman David Barboza, a Bristol councilman, said after the 40-minute meeting in Bristol Town Hall adjourned. “We’ve been able to do what we’ve always strived to do — to adequately fund the district to provide the best education for the children at a rate that the taxpayers in both towns can afford.”

Schools Supt. Edward P. Mara expressed gratitude “for the support we have received from both towns.” However, he and director of finance and administration Jane Correia emphasized that the district had made preemptive cuts to its budget proposal before submitting it to the Joint Finance Committee.

Those cuts to staffing, supplies and repairs amounted to $1 million, much more than the $157,000 cut last night. They were made in response to a looming state deficit and a law tightening increases for all municipal budgets in Rhode Island.

That law, known as S-3050, annually lowers the cap on how much every community in the state can increase its tax levy. Last year, it was 5.25 percent. This year, it’s 5 percent. Next year, it will be 4.75 percent.

So the good feeling that abounded last night will probably be short-lived.

“I don’t think it’s going to be so easy in future years,” Barboza said.

Barboza referred to more potential bad news for the district during his introductory remarks. Yesterday morning, he said, he was informed of proposed legislation that would radically change the formula for handing out state aid to local communities for education. If the bill is ratified, said Barboza, it could mean the Bristol Warren district would lose $18 million in state aid over the next three years.

For now, the district is expecting to get the same amount in state aid that it got last year, about $19.95 million. After subtracting some minor sources of revenue, the rest of the budget would be paid by Bristol and Warren, divided by the towns based on enrollment. Warren’s share would be $11.04 million and Bristol’s would be $19.34 million.

The overall raise in the budget is driven entirely by fixed costs. That includes a 9-percent increase in the cost of health insurance and a 6-percent increase for dental insurance, a total of $460,000 more than this year. Additionally, the district’s contribution to the state’s retirement fund is set to go up by $480,000. Salaries, required by contract, will rise $1.15 million.

The result last night was not unexpected.

Before the meeting, Kenneth A. Marshall, chairman of the Bristol Town Council and a member of the Joint Finance Committee, hinted at what was to come, saying the academic improvements in the school district deserved the support of the member towns.

“You like to invest in something that gives you a good return,” he said. “We’ve got a very successful school system.”

akuffner@projo.com