AUBURN — Less than 24 hours after voters rejected a proposed school budget in a citywide referendum, the School Committee sat down Wednesday to hammer out cuts that would be presented for a new vote in July.

Among the items being considered in the committee’s budget-cutting dilemma were a salary freeze; a pay-to-play policy for all activities, and not just sports; elimination of some administrative positions; elimination of high school busing; charging students who drive for their parking; closing East Auburn Elementary School; closing Washburn Elementary School; eliminating the Land Lab program; eliminating iPads for elementary students; and a variety of options related to current and future contracts and buyout options for laptop computers.

Most of the options received split opinions from committee members as they gave a thumbs-up or thumbs-down indication of their positions. As the meeting moved into its third hour, the dollar savings was still far from the cut of $874,830 that Superintendent Katy Grondin had set as a target.

At one point, when the discussion about adopting pay-for-play came up, Grondin said she should remind them that it’s important to consider whether certain money-saving approaches “are going to fly” with the public in a new vote.

She also said she doesn’t believe the School Department could pass a budget that includes closing a school.

Recognition of the task’s difficulty was expressed early by at-large committee member Laurie Tannenbaum who said, “Tonight is going to hurt.”

She said, “I’m tired of being told we are spending money recklessly. The City Council owes it to themselves to know more about us.”

City Manager Clinton Deschene told the School Committee he must see the results of their budget review as early as possible to prepare information for the City Council meeting Monday, June 17.

He asked the School Committee to “come up with a number” and to give the council some guidance on “what you would like to see done in the next year, what changes can be made and what the impact would be.”

Grondin told the committee that a possible timeline would be School Committee adoption of a post-referendum budget proposal by June 26, followed by City Council adoption the week of July 1. She said the second citywide budget validation vote could take place around July 23.

Committee Chairman Tom Kendall emphasized the importance of state funding for education and the amount of budget-cutting possible within specific guidelines.

Failing to budget adequately to meet those requirements “is postponing the inevitable” in terms of losing state funding, he said, adding, “Postponing would lead to greater pain that’s going to hit the community.”