WARWICK — The School Committee last night managed to produce a balanced budget request for next year by cutting nonteaching positions, deferring the purchase of textbooks and almost all other supplies, banking on the retirement of at least nine elementary teachers and eliminating a 3 percent pay raise for administrators.

To cut the $4.7 million it needed to, the board also committed to finding an additional $1.08 million in savings throughout the budget –– whether by consolidating bus routes or trimming some employees’ hours. As with other school districts faced with having to make sweeping cuts for the coming fiscal year, the details of that reduction will have to be played out as the year unfolds.

The committee’s unanimous vote last night brings the proposed budget down from the roughly $169.36 million proposed earlier this month by Supt. Peter P. Horoschak to approximately $164.6 million.

The budget is based on assumptions that the city will give the schools the maximum allowed under a 5 percent state cap on tax levy increases and that state aid will remain the same as this year’s.

School Committee members termed the budget-cutting the worst task they’ve had to undertake, but they stressed in interviews after the meeting that they worked hard to keep local education largely intact.

Their intentions and stoic demeanors did nothing to appease angry clerical, custodial and other employees who turned out for the second night in a row to protest the loss of more than 30 positions that are represented by the Warwick Independent School Employees (WISE) union. The union represents secretaries, clerks, custodians, teaching assistants and a number of other job classifications.

School officials have said that, faced with a nearly $5 million projected deficit, they had to look throughout the district to find savings, particularly because the teachers contract allows no more than 20 layoffs per year and any other reduction in the faculty would have to come via retirements. One of the main reasons for the deficit is the district’s need to pay teachers about $4.7 million in retroactive pay.

While custodial and clerical workers knew by Monday night’s budget hearing that some of their jobs were on the chopping block, yesterday brought the news that the committee would also eliminate six science laboratory aides.

“It is not with any satisfaction that I forward this Warwick School Department proposed budget to the mayor and City Council,” committee Chairman Christopher E. Friel said after last night’s meeting.

“This is the most difficult budget proposal I have approved during the course of my service on the Warwick School Committee.”

Committee member Joyce Andrade, who has been on the board for 16 years, echoed the sentiment. “These decision we made tonight are the hardest I’ve had to make in my 16 years,” she said. “We still have work to do and we have listened to what people have said to us.”

The deficit that had to be reckoned with for next year would have been even larger had the School Committee not already made the unpopular decision to close three elementary schools to save about $2.7 million.

State law required the committee to submit a balanced budget to the city. The largest component of the $4.75 million in cuts made last night is the elimination of about $1.8 million for materials and supplies, including textbooks.

An additional $1-million saving will be realized if at least nine elementary teachers retire. Friel said those positions will not be filled because of the closing of the three elementary schools and the assignment of their students in other neighborhood schools.

The elimination of the pay raise for administrators will save about $298,000.

As for potential further cuts, Friel said Andrade is trying to gain the Warwick Teachers Union’s permission to offer individual members incentives to wait longer for their retroactive pay. School officials had asked the union to do that as a whole, but it refused.

bpoliche@projo.com