A possible delay in the 2008 school budget referendum required by the consolidation law could spare districts, including Westbrook, Gorham, SAD 6 and Windham, an expense and give them another year to prepare for the new budget process.

As part of the state’s sweeping consolidation plan, school districts are required to have their budgets approved in a referendum. However, the Education Committee and Education Commissioner Susan Gendron are now recommending that requirement be delayed for a year, as municipalities adjust to the other consolidation requirements.

Westbrook Superintendent of Schools Stan Sawyer said the budget referendum would be expensive and confusing to the public.

“I don’t think it’s necessary, particularly in Westbrook,” said Sawyer.

He said budgets always go through the school board and

then the city council. All meetings are televised and open to the public, and every budget item, from pencils to new programs, are available for the public to inspect.

“For as long as I’ve been in Westbrook, I feel we’ve had a very transparent budget process,” he said.

David Connerty-Marin, Department of Education spokesman, said Tuesday districts that are consolidating won’t be doing so until July 2009, which made it “reasonable to put off” the referendum requirement, so that they won’t have to rework their budget processes twice in the next two years.

“It made sense to skip that,” he said. “There’s so much else to deal with.”

The delay must be voted on by the Legislature, which convenes in January.

The idea behind the referendum was to allow local taxpayers to see how much their districts are spending over state recommended levels, as expressed in the Essential Programs and Services, or EPS, funding model.

“I respect the fact that we have to do it, but it’s good to have a

break from it this year,” said Jim Hager, the chairman of the Gorham School Committee.

He stressed that even if the Legislature approves waiving the referendum, the referendum would return the following year.

“It’s a good move for the district to allow everyone to be able to understand what’s going on,” said Hager, referring to both the public and town and city councils. However, he said, many school officials have their hands full with consolidation efforts this year.

“There’s going to be a lot of confusion and a lot of anxiety,” said Hager, saying he doesn’t want the referendum adding to that. “I think it’s a nice break.”

“If anything, this should simplify things for the vast majority,” said Connerty-Marin.

“I think this is good,” said Windham Superintendent of Schools Sandy Prince. “It just seemed like an unnecessary step because we have a town meeting to begin with. It’s cumbersome and it’s costly.”

He said Windham requires the school budget to be approved by the school board, then the town council and then the public at the annual town meeting. The referendum would come at the end of that process.

“If the budget failed, we’d have to hold another town meeting and then another referendum,” said Prince.

Connerty-Marin said if some school districts have done the work to change their budget process to include a referendum, this change “does not preclude anyone who wants to from goingahead with it this year.”

However, he said, he does not expect many, if any, districts will chose to do so.

“I’m somewhat relieved,” said Suzanne Lukas, Superintendent of SAD 6, which includes Bonny Eagle High School.

Even as a stand-alone district, Lukas said, SAD 6 still will experience cuts in state funding, be required to prepare budgets in a different format and undergo the budget validation process. She said it will be difficult to educate the public on all three at once, and welcomes the possibility of “taking this one step at a time.”

“We’re in limbo at the moment,” said Lukas, about waiting to

hear the final word from the Legislature sometime in January.