Cape Elizabeth could face uncharted territory – possible staff cuts for the 2008-2009 school year.

Cape Elizabeth Superintendent Alan Hawkins identified areas in which to cut costs at an April 29 School Board workshop after the Town Council Finance Committee recommended a reduction of $263,000 to the proposed school budget on April 14. That would bring the increase from 2007-2008 down to 4.6 percent, rather than the 6 percent that has been proposed. With the cuts, the budget stands at $19.7 million.

“Staff cuts are something that has never happened at Cape Elizabeth. Reduction is always difficult because this is a legal process,” said Alan Hawkins, school superintendent.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. Based on that outcome, the Town Council will vote on the budget at a May 27 meeting.

After that, Cape Elizabeth voters must approve the budget at a June 10 vote. This is the first year Maine residents are able to vote on school budgets, a result of new consolidation laws.

Hawkins said the school department is considering eliminating the position of curriculum director, an English language arts teaching position at the high school, education technicians at all Cape Elizabeth schools, and a first-grade teacher at Pond Cove Elementary School.

Hawkins pointed out that the first-grade teaching position was in the process of being eliminated anyway, through “swapping around” of teachers, due to a drop in enrollment at the elementary level.

Tom Eismeier, Pond Cove Elementary School principal, said that while it is customary to decrease teaching staff when enrollment is down, he and his staff are still concerned about budget cuts, as they plan to reduce spending on books and other supplies.

“We’ve had to make cuts deeper toward the core than we ever have before,” said Eismeier, who has worked at the school for 14 years.

“We’ll always open our doors around Labor Day, but we’re nervous,” said Eisemeier.

Sarah Simmons, the current curriculum director, has been working for the Cape Elizabeth School Department since 2001, said Hawkins, and if budget cuts are finalized, he will likely be the one to take over her duties. That position, at $82,000, is the largest single item included in the cuts.

“Unfortunately, you sure do need a curriculum director. But I can’t (keep the position),” said Hawkins.

Budget cuts have not gotten a lot of reaction from the public yet, though the proposed cuts were presented to the public in a School Board meeting last week.

“I think (parents) will be very unhappy with some of the things they’ll be hearing about, ” said Hawkins, of Monday’s public hearing.