Bristol Warren schools could see a surplus of as much as $1.4 million this year, due in large part to spending decreases realized since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.

Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Brice brought members of the school committee’s budget and facilities subcommittee up to date on the district’s spending at a meeting Tuesday, presenting them with a spreadsheet showing expenditures to this point. While there are still unknowns, he said, the latest figures show the following:

• Transportation costs for bringing students to school in and out of the district are the largest area of savings. He believes that account will be down approximately $1 million by the end of the year.

• Food service is the second-largest area of savings, he said. The district will spend approximately $300,000 less than was budgeted to provide meals to students.

• With the need for substitutes all but eliminated, the district stands to realize a savings of approximately $100,000 in that area. Those costs haven’t been eliminated entirely, he added, as “we have 13 staff who are long-term subs that are working in place of teachers out for various types of leave.”

Though potential savings could be as high as $1.4 million, Dr. Brice warned that they could be offset somewhat by “unknown” expenses for reopening costs over the summer and fall.

Additional costs may include “increased cleaning supplies, hiring of additional custodial staff (and) increased busing due to changing schedules and other factors.”

“We need to develop a plan for the summer and the re-opening of traditional school,” he said. “The plan will include costs (but) we don’t know the amount of (the) summer cost we (will) incur.”

He said he will have a better handle on what reopening and summer costs will be toward the beginning of June.

Ultimately, it will be up to the school committee to decide what to do with any surplus, though no decisions have yet been made. Committee members discussed at a meeting last month whether it should be put in the surplus account, or used to offset other areas where budgeting was cut during this past school budget cycle.