^ununuea rrom rage 1 argued. “This is the budge

^ununuea rrom rage 1 argued. “This is the budge proposal of the RCEA.”

“We must considei what’s going' on around us,’ he continued. “With this ir responsible budget propo sal, we most certainly deserve a rebuff from th< supervisors.”

Eastham also arguec agamst the addition of twt new positions — a high school math teacher and i kindergarten teacher. “Ir the face of declining enrollment, how can we justify these expenditures?

“Do you have someone picked out for kindergarten teacher?” he asked the superintendent.

“No, of course not,” Estabrook replied. “I don’t advertise for slots not budgeted as yet.”

Eastham asked the clerk to specifically record those voting for the two new positions. They were all the members except for himself: Massie, Randall Updike, Nancy Reeve and Nelson Lane.

Construction Program

The board struggled for hours with the $21,000 proposed by the superintendent as a start on the building program at the high school, which includes a new gym and remodeling of the existing gym to provide more classroom space.

Estabrook explained again that the amount in his budget proposal represents the cost of an architect providing a cost analysis of a $750,000 construction program and final plans and specifications up to the bid stage. With low-interest literary loan funds frozen until 1984, the initial work would allow the board to make application as soon as the funds are again available. Without this allocation, the superintendent explained, it would be at least a year before the board would have the opportunity to begin work on the building program, meaning another year before application for funds.

Nelson Lane argued that the $21,000 was too much. “This needs more study,” he said. “We need to look at work done in nearby counties where existing space