JORDAN - When voters rejected the proposed $26.9 million dollar 2008-2009 budget for the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District, the district was faced with several options.

The district could put the same budget before voters again, revisit the budget and look for cuts before presenting it to the voters for a second time or do nothing and go into contingency with a state-mandated budget.

On Tuesday evening, the board of education along with the administration gathered at the high school auditorium to listen to the concerns of community members and address some of the information and confusion raised over the budget and to discuss options for moving forward.

Despite that the proposed budget had a 4.64 percent tax levy increase, considerably lower than the previous year's 6.49 percent, it still faced opposition.

It was clear to the board and administration that it was necessary to look for ways to make cuts before the district was forced to adopt a contingency budget.

Among the limitations imposed by a contingency budget are no purchases of new equipment, no public use of school buildings by outside agencies unless there is no cost to the district, no non-essential maintenance, and no capital expenditures except for emergencies.

School board president Arien Schneider said he believed the board and administration had assembled a fiscally responsible budget.

“With this budget we could maintain programs and give the kids chances and choices,” Schneider said. “And not narrow their options and maybe offer them things that other districts couldn't when they were applying to colleges.”

But, Schneider and Superintendent Marilyn Dominick, both stressed that it was crucial for the district to decide on their own terms before a state-mandated budget was imposed.

“If we go to contingency it is going to have an impact on the schools and programs,” Schneider said. “We don't want to see it go to contingency.”

After a lengthy discussion, the board and administration decided to spend Wednesday looking at ways to make cuts to the budget.

“We (Dominick and William E. Hamilton, assistant superintendent of business and finance) will be looking at ways to make cuts,” Dominick said. “Cuts that will relieve the taxpayers' impact while still preserving educational opportunities.”

The board and administration will gather at a public meeting 6 p.m. Friday in the high school library to give Dominick and Hamilton the opportunity to show proposed cuts to the board.

If the board should adopt these budget changes, the new budget would go to vote June 17.

If the budget is not adopted, the district will have no choice but to adopt the contingency budget.

“We only have one shot at this,” Schneider said. “After this our hands are tied.”