Voters in Andover unanimously passed a new two-year teachers’ contract and operating budget at their annual school district meeting Tuesday night.

The budget, $4.86 million, was up $122,000 from last year, or about 2.5 percent. Nearly all of the increase is from projected special education needs, including one-on-one student support and the transportation of some children out of the district for specialized care.

The district is mandated to cover those expenses, which can run anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 depending on the level of care needed, said Superintendent Mark MacLean. It has about 40 such students in all, though that could fluctuate by the fall, he said.

Mark Heller, vice chairman of the School Board, noted that budget writers had mitigated the increase by trimming more than $20,000 from other line items.

The teachers’ contract will have hardly any immediate tax impact, adding just $3,564 over the next school year. That will grow to $34,000 the next year, but proponents said it would save money in the long term by switching insurance coverage from an HMO to a high-deductible plan, which includes lower monthly premiums. Michelle Dudek, who chairs the School Board and who helped negotiate the contract, said it would also increase salaries for new teachers, making the district more competitive with others across the state.

Tuesday’s meeting, one of the first as the capital region’s town meeting season gets under way, lasted just under an hour and was free of debate. Two other pecuniary articles – to add money to contingency funds for students who might arrive in the district mid-year – passed with almost no discussion.

The board used the opportunity to update residents about a study commissioned last year to address soaring transportation costs. A consultant is still reviewing the cost and logistics of acquiring and operating a bus fleet, Dudek said, but a report is expected by May. The district is now in the first year of a new five-year agreement with a private bus vendor.

(Jeremy Blackman can be reached at 369-3319, jblackman@nullcmonitor.com or on Twitter @JBlackmanCM.)