2016-17 budget stands at $61.2M; tax levy hike 0.21%

The initial version of the school district’s 2016-17 budget totals $61.2 million, which is about $1.9 million larger than the district’s current spending plan.

The proposed budget, reviewed during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday, would raise the property tax levy by 0.21 percent, which district officials say does not exceed the cap set by the state.

Officials said they still are trying to balance the proposal because projected expenses are $756,124 more than projected revenues.

“Our revenues and expenditures at this point do not match, which is OK because we still have lots to consider,” said District Business Administrator Lissa Jilek. “We haven’t received the final rates for health insurance ... and [Superintendent Seth Turner] and I will go back and revisit all of these categories and try to whittle it down so it does match.”

The proposed budget calls for a property tax levy of $37.2 million, up $77,521 from the 2015-16 level. The proposed 0.21 percent hike is the most the district is allowed under the state’s cap unless the budget were to win approval from at least 60 percent of voters.

Regarding personnel, Turner said: “We’re looking at potentially two new elementary teachers being necessary. That’s based on livebirth statistics, and that will also become more clear as we do kindergarten registration at the very beginning of March.”

Turner also said at least one English-as-a- secondlanguage teaching position is likely to be added.

He also said there has been a request from high school administrators to add summer school money to the budget.

“We have plugged that into the budget at this time ... and there’s also been some discussions being held related to how we run our after-school alternative- education program,” Turner said. “We’re trying to shift that to really help our students meet their needs for graduation working through some credit recovery.”