The Plum School Board, by a 6-3 vote, adopted a tentative budget last night which raises taxes by 1.95 mills but cuts popular programs and eliminates anywhere from 9 to 15 teaching positions.

The spending plan was set at $49.3 million, down from a previous budget of $51 million that carried a 4-mill increase.

If adopted as is, six teaching positions would be lost immediately. That would include dropping a popular exploratory foreign language program in the junior high, along with a physical education teacher and a music department staff member. A second round of staff cuts would occur sometime after the new school year, officials said, involving up to nine teaching positions.

More than 70 percent of the expenditures in the budget are salary and benefit costs for labor agreements. Board member Kevin Dowdell suggested that the district reopen its contract with the Plum Education Association.

"We had to cut our budget to the core. I am pleading with the teachers' union to reopen the contract," he said.

"Let's talk," Mr. Dowdell said. Several people shouted "no" after his statement.

Board member Paul Olijar, who is chairman of the finance committee, was even more adamant.

"It's not fair to ask (residents) to pay any more taxes," he said. "We need our employees to make concessions."

Another meeting concerning the budget is set for 6:30 p.m. June 13 in the high school auditorium.

Final adoption is set for June 27.