FARMINGTON -- Voters in the nine School Administrative District 9 towns will decide later this month on a budget blueprint adopted by SAD 9 directors this week.

Directors at their meeting Tuesday night settled on a proposed budget for 2008-09 of $23.9M -- a figure that is $47,000 less than the draft administrators presented April 1.

"It's certainly been a cliff-hanger,'' Jo Josephson of Temple said at the end of the meeting as directors began expressing their feelings about the process they had been through.

Final adoption by the public will require two steps instead of one this year. An open budget meeting with six questions to approve the plan will be held May 22 at Mt. Blue High School, and a followup vote by secret ballot in the towns to validate the May 22 decision will be held May 28.

The plan represents an increase of $185,766 over current spending and would require an additional $394,000 in local taxes due to loss of state subsidy.

Among the decisions were ones to shrink the administrative staff at the high school, move the central office from the old New Sharon School to the Mt. Blue Middle School at a cost of $39,000, and close the Weld School due to declining enrollment.

They also defeated motions to reduce administrative salaries by reducing their work days, restore two computer integrator positions, restore a health teaching position at Mt. Blue Middle School to full time and cut an additional $8,000 from the athletic budget.

The recommendation to move the central office, which houses the superintendent's staff, to the middle school generated nearly an hour of discussion before it was approved 7-6.

Some directors felt it was premature because of uncertainties of its location if the consolidation plan with SAD 58 goes through. Others agreed with Superintendent Michael Cor-mier that it would provide a savings in the budget for 2009-10.

"It's a tremendous job for us to pack up and move," Cormier said. "We're not unhappy with the space we're in. But we're recommending this to you as a way to build in some savings down the road."

After another airing, the board voted 12-1, with Bob Flick of Farmington opposed, to accept a recommendation from the Contract Resolution Committee reducing the administration at the high school from its current four positions to three.

Under the plan, Monique Poulin, currently one of the assistant principals, will become principal.

Assistant Principal Randy Cook will continue with five added work days, and Athletic Director Scott Walker will become assistant principal/AD. A new position of assistant to the athletic director will be hired on a stipend basis to help during game days.

The change will result in a saving of about $46,000.

Current Principal Joseph Moore is resigning the end of June to become principal of Jay High School.

The decision to begin the process of closing the Weld School was unanimous.

No children are expected to be enrolled there in kindergarten through grade 2, leaving only one teacher and a handful of students in grades 3-6. Weld voters must now vote on accepting the recommendation.

Weld Principal Arline Amos, who is retiring at the end of this school year, was recognized for "your wonderful effort" by board Chairman Ray Glass.