JAY – School Committee and Budget Committee members are recommending voters approve a revised $9.85 million school spending plan for 2007-08. The new proposal is $614,403 less than the current budget, and $110,182 less than the $9.96 million budget voters rejected June 12.

The new budget amount is close to the amount of the 2002-03 budget, which was $9.8 million.

The proposal will go to public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, and to voters in a referendum Tuesday, Aug. 21. At least 740 voters must cast votes that day or the budget will automatically fail regardless if the two questions on the ballot are approved.

The two committees met Wednesday to review suggested cuts and offsets put forth by the administration. Both recommended that a high school social studies teaching position not be reduced to half-time and instead recommended the $27,473 that would have been saved be cut from the administrative line, Superintendent Robert Wall said Thursday.

The other savings will come from using $83,000 from the health insurance reserve account, $28,350 less in budgeted heating costs due to a lower oil price of $2.09 a gallon, $543 reduced in the substitute account, eliminating $14,000 that was in the budget to buy a bus, which voters rejected, and using $10,000 from the curriculum reserve to offset assessments.

Voters will not be asked to approve $1.6 million to keep the schools operating if the budget fails, Wall said. Voters already approved $500,000 on June 12 to operate the schools until a new budget passes.

The articles on the warrant in August will ask the voters to raise and appropriate $1.98 million in additional funds, which exceeds the state’s essential programs and services allocation model by $1.7 million. Voters rejected spending $2 million in additional funds June 12.

The next article asks voters to authorize the School Committee to spend $9.85 million for education.

Voters rejected spending $9.98 earlier this month.