Bow residents are facing a higher school budget this year, largely due to rising special education costs. 

The Bow School District has proposed a $36.78 million operating budget for the upcoming year, a 2.8% increase from last year.

One of the biggest cost drivers, special education transportation, alone added $79,000 to the budget. 

In total, the increase will push the school district tax rate to $12.56 per $100,000 of assessed property value, a 4.84% jump.

Voters will also weigh in on school improvement projects, including an irrigation system for the track field at Bow Memorial School and new lighting for the field at Bow High School at the town meeting in March.

Meanwhile, the town’s proposed municipal budget stands at $11.8 million, reflecting a 3.2% increase from last year. 

While the town’s tax rate would decrease by 3.7%, but that doesn’t mean tax bills will go down given a recent property revaluation, which largely raised assessments on homes. The estimated tax impact of the town budget is $2.59 per $100,000 of assessed property value.