Town Meeting members on Wednesday approved Arlington’s $109.7 million town budget.

The fiscal year 2012 budget is .3 percent smaller than last year, when the town budgeted $110.1 million for fiscal year 2011.

Some of the largest items approved were schools ($38.7 million), community safety ($11.9 million), Department of Public Works ($7.2 million) and health and human services ($750,000).

It was a lengthy discussion Wednesday night. Town Meeting members stripped the budget to the bones, questioning items such as the responsibilities of the town’s deputy town manager. When it was time to approve school budgets, discussions once again turned to last year’s $1.5 deficit Arlington Public School faced.

Schools Chief Financial Officer Diane Johnson said there is a difference between overspending and the problems that public schools faced last year.

“There was an under availability of revenues that were counted on,” Johnson said, answering a question from a Twon Meeting member. “That’s a different thing than overspending.”

The budget discussion wrapped up this year’s Town Meeting in 10 sessions. Members stayed until 11:15 p.m. finish discussions