OAKLAND -- School Administrative District 47 school board members this week made nearly $300,000 in cuts from the current budget, including $70,000 from maintenance and $40,000 from textbooks.

But it was eliminating field trips and transportation money for exhibition sports competition, including holiday sports tournaments, that caused two board members -- Becky Seel of Belgrade and Donna Doucette of Oakland -- to cast dissenting votes.

"The field trip issue was the one we expressed concern about," Seel said, "and hopefully we'll find some other funding source for the field trips that were eliminated."

Seel said in the past students have had trips to Popham Beach and Boston. For some of those students, she said, such excursions are their only opportunity to go much beyond the local community.

Although cuts in other areas were steeper, Seel said the board felt that the school system could more easily absorb the reductions without affecting students.

"I think the feeling was with supplies and textbooks," she said, "that there is a way to get by or use Internet resources."

Seel said she also understood that School Superintendent James C. Morse Sr. had no choice but to call for cuts, given the reduction in state education funding.

"I appreciated the efforts he and (business manager) Connie (Packard) made to come up with the list," she said. "It wasn't that I didn't realize the seriousness of the budget situation."

Messalonskee High School athletic director James Marascio understands the fiscal reality facing the school district as well.

Marascio said he already has taken steps to address the funding reduction.

This fall, he said, he scheduled preseason basketball games as close to home as possible to keep transportation costs at a minimum.

He has a plan for holiday basketball tournaments as well, to ensure teams will be able to participate.

The boys' basketball team is not much of an issue, given that its tournament is in Winslow and thus entails minimal busing costs.

The girls' basketball team is a greater challenge, because the squad is scheduled to compete in a tournament at the Augusta Civic Center.

"What we will do is either try to get the money from (sports) boosters or have parents drive the kids down to Augusta," Marascio said.

Marascio said in the spring sports season he plans to stick with the same close-to-home plan for preseason games.

"We are trying to be proactive as much as we can as far as transportation," he said.

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com