JAY — The Regional School Unit 73 board of directors voted to request a $200,000 reduction to the proposed 2026-27 school budget before sending it to voters.

Superintendent Scott Albert had already reduced the initial requests from administrators by $602,862 during the budget development process. After the board’s action, Albert said he must identify about $226,500 in additional cuts to account for a required payment on a new school bus.

If approved with the reductions, the proposed budget would total $26.64 million, an increase of about $629,000 from the current year.

The motion passed in an 8-5 vote. Supporting the reduction were Jodi Cordes, Tanya DeMillo, Dan Emery, Tammy Ferrari, Michelle Moffett, Holly Morris, Dawn Strout and Chair Shari Ouellette. Voting against it were Danielle Brotherton, Elaine Fitzgerald, Sarah Jamison, Phoebe Pike and Andrew Sylvester.

State data show RSU 73 spends less per student than the Maine average. According to figures from the Maine Department of Education, Maine spends about $19,742 per student annually, while RSU 73 spends about $17,332 per student. Among 267 districts listed in the state report, RSU 73 ranks 175th in spending per pupil. Several districts with similar enrollment sizes report higher per-student costs, including Wells-Ogunquit, RSU 12 in Somerville, RSU 2 in Hallowell and RSU 71 in Belfast.

Albert presented potential cuts during a special board meeting March 5.

The district’s annual budget process includes several steps. After the board finalizes the budget, directors are expected to certify the warrant for the referendum on March 12. Voters in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls are scheduled to consider the budget during a districtwide vote on April 2.