BEAUMONT - Cutting a new elementary school and middle school auditoriums from a bond package, along with other changes, could trim the amount Beaumont voters will be asked to approve - perhaps by as much as $30 million.

Trustees Thursday agreed to the cuts after a lengthy discussion about the student assignment plan and a shorter one on the bond issue.

Superintendent Carrol Thomas gave a rough estimate of $30 million in savings after the meeting, though he had not studied figures in detail. A $30 million reduction would bring the total package to about $406.2 million.

The board also approved a $156.7 million operating budget for the fiscal year starting Sept. 1. Trustees set the tax rate at $1.095 per $100 valuation, a 25-cent drop from last year. The rate includes $1.04 for maintenance and operations and 5.5 cents to retire debt.

The loss in local tax revenue will be made up by increased contributions from the state under changes in Texas school financing.

The bond issue cuts considered by the board Thursday were suggested by David Teuscher, who with Paul Brown chairs the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee. Teuscher told the board he and Brown agreed cuts were needed to reduce the cost of the bond issue and give it a better chance of passing.

The plan now before the board would eliminate a new elementary school in the northwest part of the city, which was discussed last week, and not build new middle school auditoriums. Middle schools likely will need to be the focus of a future bond issue, Teuscher said.

Board members Martha Hicks and William Nantz suggested buying land for a future school in the northwest part of the city even though construction would not take place immediately.

The revised proposal also would rebuild Regina Howell Elementary at a new site for 750 students. Sallie Curtis Elementary would be rebuilt at the existing site for 550 students slightly fewer than attend the school now.

Seven other new elementary schools are planned at existing campuses. Five of them would combine two existing schools.

At Hicks' suggestion, Thomas agreed to have an engineer or architect look at the Curtis site to determine how big a school is appropriate for the site.

Teuscher had suggested building a 750-student campus at Curtis. Trustee Janice Brassard said she would not support a larger campus that would disturb Little League fields adjacent to the school on district-owned land.

After hearing Teuscher's proposal, the board spent more than 30 minutes discussing zoning Bevil Oaks and Northwest Forest students, now attending Central High School, to West Brook.

Finally, board members agreed to schedule a workshop on the district's entire student assignment plan.

Two more meetings on the bond issue are planned next week, on Tuesday and Thursday.

The board must call an election no later than Sept. 5 to put a bond issue before voters in November.

After the meeting, Thomas said the goal now is to trim the final number. "To get as low as we possibly can and still have the things we need for our students," Thomas said.