JAY — If the town’s school system were to stand alone next year, taxpayers would be looking at a significant tax increase to fund schools in 2011-12, or a significant reduction in personnel, or both, Superintendent Bob Wall said Thursday.

At one point during budget discussions, Jay administrators were looking at eliminating up to 14 positions, Wall told the School Committee.

He estimated that if Jay and RSU 36 were not consolidating on July 1, Jay taxpayers would be looking at finding more than $1 million due to a funding shift, he said. The shift includes less state money for education and Jay having to raise more to get less dollars, Wall said. It also factors in a $100,000 increase in energy, a $224,235 penalty for not consolidating and increased costs for salaries and benefits.

Jay would be responsible for 100 percent of those costs if it stood alone, he said.

The proposed administrative budget for the combined system is estimated to be $18.28 million. It represents a $57,841.18 increase over the combined budgets of the two systems, and an estimated $34,630 increase to Jay taxpayers. The budget includes funding to allow the new school system to do its own bus and equipment repairs. According to minutes of a transportation subcommittee to the Regional Planning Committee, which developed the consolidation plan, the majority of subcommittee members recommended that the new system should do its own repairs at the Jay Bus Garage.

In addition to the administrative budget, a RSU 73 Transition Committee that is moving the new system forward until a new school board is elected, has recommended adding nearly $194,000 to start reserve accounts, make a first payment to purchase-lease laptops for sixth-graders, and do retrofits for the new district. The Committee has also recommended to contract out repairs for buses and equipment for one year.

Jay’s share of the additions plus $40,000 for adult education and the $34,630 budget increase would equal an estimated $215,058.74, according to Walls’ data. On a home valued at $100,000, the tax increase would be $19.31. On a $200,000 home, it would be $38.61 more, the data shows. If Jay was only looking at paying its share of the administrative budget and adult education, it would equal $74,630.58 more than the current year. Those two combined equal an estimated $6.70 increase on a $100,000 home.

Overall financial information indicates that Jay taxpayers would be paying, if everything added in is approved, an estimated $8.21 million of the proposed budget.

That includes Jay paying 72.51 percent of the amount over the state’s Essential Programs and Services funding formula. It is based on town valuation.

“It is a really good ending to a very sad story,” Wall said. “The story would have been a lot different if we had been by ourselves.”

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