JAY — School Committee members voted to eliminate or reduce hours for several positions that were outlined in the proposed $9 million budget talks for 2010-11.

Reduced revenue and declining student enrollment played a role in staff reductions.

Positions that were eliminated Thursday night were a business teaching position, which was opposed by committee member Dan DiPompo, a world language teaching position, a high school librarian position, a technology help desk position and a three-day-a-week art teaching position. The art position will be lost at the elementary school, but there are plans in the works to restructure the remaining art positions to make sure students in those grades receive art education, Superintendent Robert Wall said.

Positions reduced in hours were a full-time elementary school technology integrator to three days a week and a full-time social studies teacher to half -time. DiPompo also opposed the latter.

The board also voted to approve a second-year probationary contract for Karina Escajeda, a Jay High School literacy instructor/intervention specialist.

School Committee members also agreed to hold a special board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, at the middle school library to take up the second part of the reduction process which is the actual people who will lose their jobs, Wall said Monday.

Wall also told the school board Thursday that both Jay and Regional School Unit 36 have submitted notices of intent to proceed with work on a reorganization plan between the two districts.

Former Maine Department of Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron, whose last day on the job was April 30, sent a letter back dated April 29 to Wall confirming that the intended action outlined in the plan does comply with the requirements of the state school consolidation law.

Gendron wished both systems success in their work.

Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls are trying once again to join their school systems. The target date is July 1, 2011.

RSU 36 Superintendent Judith Harvey received a similar letter, Harvey said Monday.

dperry@sunjournal.com