JAY — Restructuring the elementary schools and changing the school funding formula will be discussed at the Regional School Unit 73 board meeting Thursday, March 10.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Spruce Mountain Middle School.

At the Feb. 25 meeting, Superintendent Kenneth Healey presented an $18.84 million budget. A plan to have all pre-kindergarten through second grade students at the Livermore Elementary School and all third- to fifth-graders at Jay Elementary School is included in the budget.

The preliminary budget reflects five retirements, $400,000 less in subsidies and $150,000 more for salaries and benefits.

At last month’s meeting, Transportation/Maintenance Director Ken Vining suggested cutting $48,000 from diesel fuel and $89,000 from heating oil. His budget includes replacing three buses. He was asked to provide a list of buses and their mileage to determine how dire the need is.

Regarding the funding formula, RSU 73 is in the sixth year of its reorganization plan that merged School Administrative District 36 and the Jay School Department. The plan requires the board to evaluate the cost-sharing formula.

Last week, a funding formula subcommittee voted to recommend the school board adopt a formula based 80 percent on property valuation and 20 percent on student enrollment.