For $1 and a line item in the budget, Dan Schroth wants to start a committee to get students talking about ways to reduce the carbon footprint in Pittsfield. But after an amendment to change the school budget failed, Schroth was out of luck again at the deliberative session Thursday.

He tried his luck a few times this year, proposing the exact same $1 amendment at the deliberative session for the town budget as well. It failed then too.

“This is a project just looking for solutions and educating the kids,” he said. “If you can spare $1 and get a committee going, some kids will really get into this because that’s going to be their job in the future.”

Schroth pointed to ways other towns are reducing their carbon footprint, like the food waste program in Hollis and the Energy and Environment Advisory Committee in Concord. But the amendment failed at the school board deliberative session 11-14.

No other changes were proposed for the school budget. Pittsfield residents will vote on four warrant articles at the polls in March.

The first two warrant articles are to elect school board members and a district treasurer and approve the operating budget of $10.3 million. The budget is a 2 percent increase from last year.

There are three main areas of increase in the budget – dental and health benefits, utility costs and transportation funding. The proposed budget also includes raises for the lowest paid employees to $15 per hour. It will also allow the district to promote a part time reading specialist to a full-time position.

Voters will also be asked to approve the school district’s ability to accept state and federal funding for the Food Service Program and grant-based educational programs, without the need to hold a public hearing. These are annual warrant articles that have no tax impact.

At the town budget deliberation meeting, no amendments were made to warrant articles either, according to Gerard LeDuc, a board of selectmen member and school district moderator.

Residents will vote to approve a $6.6 million budget. Polls will be open to vote on both the town and school budget on March 14 beginning at 7 a.m. Voting will happen in the gymnasium at Pittsfield Middle High School at 23 Oneida St.

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