NAPLES — School administrators have a week to come up with a list of suggested spending cuts before the School Administrative District 61 Board of Directors votes on a third proposal for the district’s 2011-12 budget.

Board members disagreed Tuesday over whether to give more specific direction to principals and departments heads about how much money to cut. They ultimately decided to leave the request open-ended.

The board met Tuesday at Lake Region Middle School for the first time since residents in the four-town district rejected a $26.6 million budget.

The vote on June 30 was 495-479. Voters from Bridgton, Casco, Sebago and Naples rejected the first proposal, in May, by 93 votes. The second proposal was $262,000 less than the first.

Several board members said they would like to avoid additional staff and program cuts, and would rather see reductions in areas such as technology and transportation.

“I don’t want a gorgeous new high school with nothing in it,” said Lesley Niemy, a board member from Bridgton, referring to an ongoing $14 million renovation project.

Board members Laura Ordway of Bridgton and Laurie Mondville of Casco proposed that administrators bring the board a list of reductions that would least affect teaching.

“I don’t want to give the leadership team a hard and fast number,” Ordway said. “I think that’s inappropriate.”

In the eyes of Sebago board member Greg Smith, asking administrators to come forward with cuts is an exercise that has already happened. He suggested asking them instead to reduce their budgets by a specific percentage.

“We need to give them direction,” he said.

The 12 board members at the meeting agreed to meet again on July 14 and asked for the list of suggested cuts before then.

Cathy Gerrish, the superintendent’s secretary, said a referendum on the budget could be scheduled for Aug. 16. The board has to set the date of the vote, which must come within 60 days of the last referendum.

Staff Writer Leslie Bridgers can be contacted at 791-6364 or at: lbridgers@mainetoday.com