JAY – Voters will be asked Tuesday to consider a revised $9.85 million school spending plan for fiscal 2008. They’ll also be asked to choose between two candidates running for a one-year school board term.

“We want to encourage everybody to get out and vote,” school Superintendent Robert Wall said Wednesday. “We look forward to a positive vote on behalf of the children and young adults in Jay.”

The referendum vote runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Community Building polls.

Town Clerk Ronda Palmer said about 20 absentee ballots have been received so far. Absentee ballots will be available until 9 a.m. on voting day, she said. People can come in prior to that time and pick up a ballot, fill it out and send it in, she said.

Voters defeated a few articles in a proposed $9.96 million school budget in June. That budget was $504,000 less than last year’s spending plan. The School Committee and administrators went back to cut an additional $110,182 from that package.

Voters did approve the use of up to $500,000 in June from the undesignated fund until a new budget is approved, which Wall previously said would not go far.

The new budget proposal reflects a $614,403 decrease from last year’s budget and is supported by both the school committee and the town Budget Committee.

The ballot has two questions on it pertaining to the budget, with the first asking if the town shall raise and appropriate $1.98 million in additional local funds, which exceeds the state’s essential programs and services model by $1.7 million.

The additional local money would support textbook purchases, school personnel, co-curricular activities including sports, and building and grounds maintenance projects beyond the state’s model.

According to the explanation listed under the warrant question, the essential programs and services model is a minimum amount of funding and does not support adequate operational levels for Jay’s schools. More than 80 percent of the school systems in Maine raise money above EPS levels, it states.

The second question asks voters to authorize the school committee to spend $9.85 million, which will allow the Jay School Department to receive and use funds and individual money other than local taxes to support school programs and activities, Wall said.

A legal review determined that Jay voters have already agreed to appropriate $7.3 million for education and raise $6.3 million as the town’s share in June with the remainder coming from the state.

What voters rejected was authorizing the School Committee to spend additional money such as grants, tuition and other funds the school department anticipates receiving to cover the entire budget.

Wall maintains that the approval of both articles is needed to continue operations throughout the school year.

Voters will also be asked to make a choice between former School Committee Chairman Clint Brooks and Marga Hutchinson, who are vying for a seat left vacant by Joel Pike in June.

Brooks and Hutchinson had run for election June 12 but were defeated by Dan DiPompo, who received 352 votes, and Nancy Chaney, who received 297 votes in the four-way race for two, three-year terms.

Brooks received 292 votes in the contest, and Hutchinson received 225.