School Committee members voted to certify a lower budget number and try for a second and lower override on Wednesday night as school administrators prepare to hand out 32 pink slips today.

Committee members met in a 3.5-hour meeting on Wednesday as more than 100 parents, teachers, town officials and residents looked on in a standing room only crowd in the library of Overlook Middle School.

"I think we have to go back to the towns," said committee member Gwen Farley. "We can't maintain a school district like this."

The committee voted 10-0 to certify a budget of $27,555,571 that proposed no cuts to staff positions but asks the towns for an additional $693,538. The cuts represent $432,646 worth of non-personnel cuts and retaining free athletic and co-curricular programs.

Along with this request -- which will most likely cause the towns to call special town meetings and ballot elections for an override -- School Committee members asked Supt. Michael Zapantis to review the budget for any additional cuts that were not personnel.

"I really believe we have an obligation to bring this back around again," said Committee Chairman David Christianson.

School Committee member Leonard Beaton proposed looking at reducing late buses, eliminating the ConnectEd communication devise and other small cuts.

Zapantis laid out a series of reductions totaling $1.2 million in two scenarios for School Committee members to consider as a reduced override request is considered.

"In case the override does fail we have to notify the staff," he said.

The last day to notify teachers of pending layoffs is today -- Friday, June 15, according to state law.

Under both scenarios the district would cut all the materials and professional development costs associated with the curriculum renewal cycle as well as the stipends for the curriculum coordinators and the teaching positions that filled in for the coordinators for a savings of $375,746.

The district will also eliminate all professional development costs for a total savings of $56,700. The district will also eliminate the first year of the computer lease to save $22,500.

Zapantis then proposed two alternatives in regards to athletic and co-curricular fees. The first is a 100 percent pay-to-participate program saving the district $456,525. The second is a 50-50 split between fees and the district's operating budget.

"Free and equal means something to me," said committee member Keith Glenny. "Either everyone gets to participate or nobody gets to play."

Other committee members also spoke out against the fees establish after significant public outcry for their elimination after the last successful override in 2004.

"The first dollar in fees prevents someone from participating," Christianson said.

If the second attempt at additional funding fails, Zapantis proposed two different sets of personnel cuts depending on the committee's decision on co-curricular fees.

If the committee decides to make the fees a 50-50 proposition then the budget would require the elimination of 10 full-time teachers, four part-time teachers, 10 full- and part-time paraprofessionals, four custodial positions, three part- and full-time secretaries, and a part-time guidance counselor.

If the committee decides participants need to fund the co-curricular activities and sports. Then the budget cuts will be six full-time teachers, two part-time teachers, two part-time teachers, five part- and full-time paraprofessionals, a secretary and two custodians.

Zapantis said some of the cuts are programmatic eliminations, such as the health teachers at each elementary school, and not simply the elimination of core teachers at every level.

Christianson said the committee's job is to present a budget that is "sufficient for the education" of the students in the community.

"I'm not sure cutting 26 positions is sufficient for the education," he said.

The committee considered scheduling a special meeting on the subject but said the negotiation subcommittee is meeting three times next week with the teachers' association so another meeting would be impractical.

The committee did ask that Zapantis, Kersey and as many members as possible meet with selectmen and advisory board members in each town.

The School Committee's next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, June 26, at the library of Overlook Middle School.