Resignations of Wiscasset's school curriculum director, special services director, adult education director and one long-term teacher, coupled with the need to reduce the proposed $9.6 million budget prompted a closer look at personnel needs Tuesday night.

Meeting in the high school library, Wiscasset school committee members asked several budget committee members how much they think voters want the twice-defeated budget to be cut when it is voted on July 22.

"Is it possible to make some cuts in administration due to these resignations?" school committee member Steve Whitfield asked. Superintendent of Schools Jay McIntire said it depends upon the level of experience and education of the people hired to replace them. The resignations include Curriculum Director Emily Thompson, Special Services Director Steve Ocean, Adult Education Director Pam Moody, and teacher Sharon Marchi. None of these costs are included in the administration budget. The adult education budget, including the salary for the director, is no longer included in the school budget, and has already been approved by voters.

Superintendent of Schools Jay McIntire said he had asked administrators to come up with suggested cuts, than he added to that list. Before the first budget went to voters, about $322,000 was cut. School committee member Doug Smith suggested the list of cuts, some of them as low as $700 weren't large enough to make any real difference in the budget. He also questioned not including money in the contingency account.

McIntire said three to five percent of the total budget is what's recommended. School board member Steve Whitfield, who is a principal at a Lewiston school, agreed they must include money for contingency. Committee member Sandra Crehore from Westport Island also agreed, saying one year the town had to pay nearly $200,000 to educate one special needs student.

"If we keep looking at $700 cuts and $7,000 cuts, we'll be here until next week," Whitfield said. He then came up with a list of proposed cuts, totaling about $250,000, which the board went along with. There was also discussion about combining the jobs of curriculum director and gifted and talented director, closing the fifth and sixth grade wing at the middle school, cutting school secretaries, cutting guidance people, and cutting sports and drama.

School board member Lori Hanley asked several budget committee members who attended the meeting what they think about making cuts.

Dick Hansen answered, "It's not my place to make the cuts - Jay is the CEO.

"But you've been involved since day one - we have no idea what you people are thinking."

Budget committee member Judy Colby said, "You're the elected school committee. It's up to you to decide." Colby said the reason the proposed town meeting cuts - $1 million at the first town meeting and $500,000 at the second town meeting - were defeated by voters at the meeting is that most of the people who attended were connected to the school system. Voters subsequently defeated the budget at the follow-up paper ballot vote.

Colby said she would suggest cutting about $650,000, but that was just her personal opinion, not the budget committee's. Hansen said if this much is cut, the budget would still exceed the state EPS (Essential Programs and Services) guidelines. Smith pointed out that one of the reasons for this is paying for a school the town no longer needs.

"People are saying, `When are they going to get it,'" Hansen said, referring to school costs.

"We get it," Smith said. "It's disrespectful to say that."

"Well, that's what the voters are saying," Hansen said. Referring to Smith, Flanagan said, "Whether Doug wants to hear it or not, that's what people are saying - they just don't understand the cost per student and being over EPS."

Sarah Whitfield asked if there are any Maine schools that run at the level recommended by EPS. Hanley said no, Crehore said there are a few. McIntire said 85 percent of the school systems in the state exceed EPS.

Judy Flanagan suggested the committee make a list of their priorities. Smith argued that the final budget number should be dealt with first at the next town meeting, then go from there to see where the cuts should be made.

After about two hours, the board agreed to make a list of where the cuts could be made.