On Monday night, thirty minutes after three new Myrtle Point School Board members were sworn into office - crucial votes were cast that will guide the school district for years to come.

There's only one problem: Nobody knows yet what their votes solidified.

The problem arose after the board voted 3-2 Monday night to reverse a decision made last month by the School Board - which then was made up of different members. Last month, that board voted to embark on a four-day school week and launch an alternative school program beginning this school year.

The district is facing a $375,000 budget deficit. With a four-day week in place, a proposal by Superintendent Robert Smith and the previous board, the district could save about $85,000, the brunt of which is recouped by eliminating two custodial positions.

Immediately after Monday's vote, in which board members Brian Zumwalt and Jack Kissell voted no, the board's new chairwoman, Jane Snyder, said the motion died because it needed four votes - a clear majority of the seven member board - to pass.

"All we can do is move on," said Snyder, signaling her capitulation. She served on the last board and was the strongest opponent to the four-day week.

However, about 30 minutes later, after several other matters were discussed, one of the 100 or so audience members asked Snyder to clarify what had actually taken place during the vote. Due to poor acoustics at the Maple School gymnasium, where Monday's meeting was held, not everyone heard what transpired, the audience member said.

Snyder reiterated that the motion failed due to a lack of a majority of votes. Smith agreed, and said, based on advice from attorneys before the meeting, four votes were necessary to adopt motions.

What followed was a discussion by board and audience members about how many votes were believed to be needed to carry motions. Board member Ron Wardman advised that, at present, the board actually comprises six board members - not seven. Robert Little, the board's former chairman, announced his resignation at the June meeting and his position has not yet been filled. Little was not at Monday's meeting and the board announced Monday that at least four applications have been submitted for his position.

Confusing matters further for the new board, was that board member Ed Groves, who is recovering from a recent motorcycle accident, was not at Monday's meeting either. Technically, some argued, a quorum was present and a majority of that quorum - three - had voted in favor of scuttling the four-day week and alternative school.

While many believe an alternative school for Myrtle Point could one day be a benefit to the district's at-risk and credit-deficient students, some people believe there is not enough time to establish the school with the first day of school a little over a month away. Opposition to both proposals ignited over the last two months, as budget talks for next school year began to take shape.

Nobody at Monday's meeting was willing to decide what the 3 to 2 vote signified without at first seeking advice from the school district's attorney, James Coffey, and Oregon School Board's Association Attorney David Turner.

"I guess we don't know," Snyder said. "We assumed four votes were needed. That may have been an incorrect assumption." Snyder said she planned to call attorneys today to resolve the dispute.