CHINA -- A quorum of 191 voters is needed to vote on the 2008-09 school budget Saturday morning.

The 14 budget articles are the main business at Saturday's special town meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. at China Middle School.

The school budget request totals $7.8 million, about 2 percent lower than the current year's budget. However, the share to be paid from local taxes will increase, because state and federal funds have decreased.

The local share is addressed in two separate questions:

* A request for $2.12 million required to receive full state funding; and

* A request for almost $890,000 in additional local funds.

Because the request for additional local funds exceeds what the state recommends in its Essential Programs and Services model, that question must be decided by a written ballot.

A final article asks voters to authorize the School Committee to spend the entire $7.8 million.

Before acting on the funding articles, voters decide on 11 separate requests for authority to spend school money, in state-mandated categories.

Saturday's meeting warrant includes one more article: a presentation on school consolidation.

Elwood Ellis, chairman of the Board of Selectmen and one of China's three representatives in regional discussions, said at Wednesday's selectmen's meeting that consolidation is "probably back to square one."

Last year, China intended to become part of an eight-municipality regional school unit with School Union 52 partners Winslow and Vassalboro, Waterville and the four towns in Oakland-based School Administrative District 47.

However, Waterville officials decided to drop out and remain independent -- if state officials would let them.

Ellis had heard Wednesday that state officials will not let Waterville remain an independent school unit.

If the report is true, the state action may bring Waterville officials back into ongoing negotiations.

This spring, Ellis, School Committee Chairman Charles Clark and public representative Frank Soares -- who just resigned -- have been involved in two separate discussions: The three Union 52 towns are considering converting into a regional school unit; and their representatives are also considering joining with Belgrade, Oakland, Rome and Sidney in a seven-town group.

Selectmen discussed possible replacements for Soares Wednesday but made no appointment.

They also discussed Saturday's quorum, deciding that unless there are 191 -- or almost 191 -- voters at China Middle School by 9:30 a.m., they will postpone the special meeting.

Town Manager Daniel L'Heureux said a second date -- Tuesday evening, June 3 -- has already been announced as a fall-back if needed.

People who arrived on time for the annual town business meeting in March waited more than an hour for the 191st voter to make the quorum.

The school budget figure approved at Saturday's -- or Tuesday's -- open meeting must be presented as a written-ballot question for a validation referendum, scheduled for June 10 along with state voting and other local questions.