Ledyard — The teachers union voted overwhelmingly in favor of accepting a two-day furlough Monday, a move expected to save $170,000 in the education budget.

The furloughs were approved 151-47, according to Ted Allen, vice president of the Ledyard Education Association.

Facing a more than $1.5 million cut in state aid, much of it for education, town officials and the superintendent

expressed concern that more drastic measures may need to be taken in the absence of furlough days to help make up the deficit.

Superintendent Jason Hartling had said he feared that without the furlough days the Board of Education would have been forced to consider laying off a significant number of teachers as an alternative to cutting the budget.

Meanwhile on the town side, Council Chairman Linda Davis said she had a difficult time seeing a way to avoid sending residents a supplemental tax bill, if teachers rejected the proposed furlough.

While the acceptance of the furlough days is expected to save $170,000, the Board of Education also approved a series of cuts that brings the total savings to approximately $734,872, according to Hartling.

The moves included a moratorium on filling vacant positions, reviewing all purchases and denying those that are non-essential, including cancelling some professional development and deferring some maintenance.

The Board of Education's finance committee and the town council finance committee are scheduled to meet Thursday evening to discuss how to cut the rest of the money. 

The Board of Education has suggestions about how to cut hundreds of thousands of dollars, which it will bring up with the town then, said Hartling.