DIXFIELD — The RSU 10 board’s proposed budget for 2014-15 likely will depend on a meeting Wednesday morning among leaders of the bargaining units of the Western Foothills Educational Association.

At Monday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Craig King said he will have a proposed budget ready for board action May 12. The amount could be between $36.5 million and $37.1 million.

On Wednesday morning’s late-start day, the bargaining units will decide whether to open their contracts with the potential goal of freezing wages for the 2014-15 fiscal year, for part of the year or not at all.

All bargaining units must agree to open their contracts.

During the past few months, the RSU 10 board has wrestled with coming up with a budget that’s no higher than this year’s $36.5 million. Despite cutting 44 full-time equivalent positions, closing the former Dixfield Elementary School that now serves as the district’s central office and several classrooms for adjacent Dirigo High School, and several other cuts, the proposed budget stands at $37.1 million.

King said if any additional position cuts were made, the educational program for the district’s 2,700 students would be damaged.

He distributed a new timeline for board and public action on a budget:

May 12 at 6:30 p.m., vote on the budget at the board meeting at Rumford Elementary School.

May 27 at 6:30 p.m., board meeting at Dirigo High School in Dixfield.

May 28 at 6:30 p.m., public hearing on the budget at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.

May 29 at 6:30 p.m., public hearing on the budget at Dirigo High School.

June 3 at 6:30 p.m., vote on the budget by residents of Canton, Carthage, Peru, Dixfield, Hanover, Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury, Byron, Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner at Dirigo High School.

June 10, budget validation referendum at the polls in each town.

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