LEWISTON – School officials are planning to take their budget to the polls this spring, in spite of a possible delay being discussed in the state Legislature.

School officials briefed city councilors on the confusing details and different timelines behind putting together a budget for the 2008-09 school year.

Schools could face putting their municipal budget before the voters on May 6, according to Superintendent Leon Levesque. That depends on a state effort to delay part of last year’s school consolidation legislation.

If legislators pass the delay with a two-thirds majority, voters will see the school’s budget on the ballot in 2009. But if they don’t get a two-thirds majority, or don’t pass the delay at all, the rules may force a ballot issue.

“And the fact is, the way the new law is written conflicts with other laws,” said city Councilor Tom Peters. “It may break rules for absentee ballots, the way it’s written.”

Last year’s school consolidation law requires the school’s budget go to the voters within 10 business days of being approved by the City Council. If voters don’t approve the budget, the School Committee must regroup and adopt a revised budget by May 22. Councilors would review it on June 2 and voters would go the polls again on June 10. The process would continue until voters approve a budget.

State Rep. Elaine Makas, D-Lewiston, told both groups Tuesday that the outlook for the delay was positive. She expected the delay bill would go before the state Senate on Wednesday.

“The original was passed with a lot of chinks and a lot of problems in it,” she said. “Everybody in the state needs more time to deal with this. It’s a bipartisan issue.”

Peters urged Makas and her colleagues to be more careful. Many pieces of legislation are rushed through and poorly thought out. They end up hurting municipalities and taxpayers alike.

“You don’t have to pass 16,000 pieces of legislation in a couple of months,” he said. “We’d be happy if you just came up with two or three gems.”