WALES – The Wales Central School Board will meet at 7 tonight at the school library to discuss cutting $202,000 from the budget as mandated at Saturday’s town meeting.

After three hours of debate and several close votes, residents cut the school board’s request for additional spending – above the amount needed to qualify for state funding – from $470,000 to $268,000.

Prior to that vote, taxpayers agreed to appropriate and raise $339,333 locally, in order to receive $1.6 million from the state’s Essential Programs and Services Funding Act.

The request for $470,691 in additional local funds exceeded the state’s recommendation by $335,351.

School officials said budget cuts would result in programs being dropped.