AUBURN – The land lab may be back, but 15-plus jobs, including a high school substance abuse counselor and two teachers, would be gone under a work-in-progress budget debated Wednesday by the Auburn School Committee.

The committee is wrangling with how to make $1.7 million in cuts in the $35.36 million working budget, making it a $33.64 million budget, to harness property taxes.

Charged with coming up with ways to cut $1.7 million, last month Superintendent Tom Morrill presented a plan that included eliminating the science land lab, laying off 21 school employees and eliminating another eight jobs through attrition. The layoff list includes 13 teachers, several secretaries, library and education technicians.

Most elementary schools would lose one teacher, Fairview would lose two. The high school would lose an art teacher, an English teacher, and two other teachers not yet identified. Also gone would be a counselor who helps students with substance abuse problems, a secretary and two education technicians. The middle school would lose three teachers, one secretary, a social worker and an education technician in the technical lab.

By Wednesday the School Committee indicated it wanted to restore some positions, including the two land lab teachers, plus an elementary gifted and talented teacher. But members reluctantly gave a green light to nearly $1 million in cuts on Morrill’s list, including laying off two teachers at Edward Little, one teacher at the middle school, a secretary at both the middle and high schools, one crossing guard, one janitor, plus a 5 percent across-the-board reduction in spending at all schools.

As members went through the list, Tom Kendall suggested the land lab cut be restored. City councilors have said “they are warm to the idea of not cutting it,” he said.

At that committee member Bonnie Hayes said councilors this year have 11 line items in the school budget they can reject or approve, which is new. “But they cannot tell us what programs to put in or out.” Hearing that councilors wanted the land lab in the budget “makes me want to take it out,” Hayes said. “Just because the City Council tells us to do it, that is not a reason to do it.”

Hayes said she likes the land lab program and is in favor of restoring two science teachers. It should be up to the superintendent to decide where those teachers go, Hayes said.

Members also discussed an earlier decision to eliminate one of the high school’s assistant principals and a middle school dean. The middle school dean needs to stay, Kendall said, adding that years ago, Auburn cut that position and had to restore it after problems arose. The city needs to learn from history. “Let’s not be stupid about it,” he said.

But as of Wednesday that cut remained on the list.

When discussing whether to cut the high school’s substance abuse counselor, members seemed torn. That counselor sees 40 students on a weekly basis, and more check in with her, Morrill said.

As an alternative, Hayes suggested cutting Lewiston-Auburn Arts and the Unity Project, which receive about $21,000 and $27,000, respectively. The arts programs brings artists in schools to work with students, while the Unity Project is a student-based program that helps reduce prejudice and hate violence.

Hayes said she doesn’t want to see either program go, but choices have to be made.

Kendall suggested a grant pay for the substance abuse counselor, reasoning the position addresses a need in society than a need in education.

As of Wednesday night no conclusion was reached; the position remained on the job elimination list while the L-A Arts and Unity Project programs remained off. The committee ran out of time and wasn’t able to take up other position reductions on the list.

All of the above cuts are not final and can be changed. Also not known is what action, if any, will be taken on Kendall’s proposal to close two elementary schools and redistrict students instead of eliminating positions.

A public hearing on the city and school budget will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Central Maine Community College before the School Committee and City Council.