JAY – There are many unknowns as to exactly how much state funding for education local school systems will receive, but it’s clear that it will be considerably less than last year.

“There are worst-case scenarios, but I wouldn’t want to tell people exactly what we’re looking at,” said Jay Superintendent Dr. Robert Wall at Tuesday’s Jay School Committee meeting. “Conditions do change.”

“The most difficult part is developing your budget without having the substantive numbers,” he added.

A vote on merging Jay schools with the SAD 36 towns of Livermore and Livermore Falls is set for all three communities on Jan. 27. School committee Chairwoman Mary Luce noted that the current economic troubles that have befallen the state have made consolidation a more attractive option.

“As the economic climate has changed, my perception of it has changed as far as the state wanting to cut property taxes and maintaining a high quality of education,” she said.

“We hope people vote from a knowledge base rather than an emotional base,” Wall said. Public hearings will be held on the consolidation plan at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at Livermore Falls High School, at 9 a.m. Jan. 15 at the Jay Middle School cafeteria, at 1 p.m. Jan. 19 at Murray Hall, and at 6 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Jay Middle School cafeteria.

Luce noted that she had received several phone calls from parents concerned about the lunch program at Jay Middle School. “They (parents) say the kids aren’t eating lunch, they aren’t getting enough lunch,” she said.

Middle school Principal Scott Albert said he hadn’t received any complaints from parents about the school lunches, and said that he welcomed any questions or concerns parents might have about the meals. The school, he noted, has made an effort to provide healthier snacks and more food choices for students.

Another committee member, Tammy Shufelt, noted that while the portion sizes were probably smaller than students were used to eating in other venues, “There are appropriate sizes so we don’t promote obesity.”

Wall pointed out that there are certain federal guidelines that have to be followed with regard to the size and content of school lunches, and Albert added that a lot of the food at the middle school is actually healthier than required by federal guidelines.

The gathering listened to a presentation from Darlene Bassett, an educational consultant with Best Practices International, on the work that she has been doing with staff at the Jay schools on literacy and writing. Teachers in all subject areas have been participating and learning how to help students write and comprehend more effectively by using strategies introduced through

Luce asked about the implementation of the strategies within the math courses, and asked if some students might struggle with math being more language-based. Bassett responded that it wasn’t a new program that was being put in place, but rather a new set of strategies that teachers were applying within the current framework of their classes.

This semester, Jay High School will be getting three social studies and one math student teacher who will be learning from and teaching with the high school teachers in those subjects. “I’ve used it as a little hook to get to know our teachers better,” said Principal Joe Moore.

For the last two weeks of their student teaching, the student teacher will run the class with the supervising teacher present.

The board approved the renewal and extension of Moore’s contract until June 30, 2011, and the renewal and extension of elementary school Principal Christopher Hollingsworth’s contract until that same date. They accepted the resignation of Jeremy Richards as bus driver/custodian effective Dec. 22, 2008.