The USD 253 Board of Education will not ask for more taxpayer money in the 2011-12 school year.
The board heard details about the 2011-12 budget from Rob Scheib, assistant superintendent of business, during a budget workshop Wednesday evening.
The proposed tax rate will remain at 53.225 mills, the same as it was last year. For the coming school year the mill levy will bring in $8,445,376, a decrease from the same mill levy last year, which brought in $8,509,290.
The board unanimously voted to publish the budget, which is a step in the process of getting the final budget approved.
Scheib walked the board through some of the changes for the 2011-12 budget.
The district valuation dropped from $172,768,156 to an estimated $165,985,688.
Bond and interest aid increased by 1 percent to 24 percent for bonds passed prior to 1992 and 44 percent for after 1992, which is a good thing, Scheib said.
Some school districts in the state max out the supplemental general fund at 30 percent. Emporia USD 253 is at 26.9 percent, Scheib said.
Board member Amy Scheller asked Scheib if the district can absorb anymore cuts should the state decide to cut aid in the middle of the school year.
Scheib said if the school district sees a $1 million cut in the 2011-12 budget some hard decisions will have to be made. Those decisions, he said, include either raising taxes or reducing costs.
Superintendent Theresa Davidson said a handful of positions will not be filled in the 2011-12 school year due to attrition. The positions are all at Lowther South Elementary School, which closed as a school in May as part of the district’s reconfiguration process.
The district’s 53.225 mill rate includes 20 mills for the general fund, 23.572 mills for the supplemental general fund, .5 mills for adult education and 9.153 mills for bond and interest. The Emopria Recreation Commission receives a total of 7.394 mills.
The budget schedule is as follows:
July 25: Public budget workshop, 7 p.m. at the Mary Herbert Education Center. The public is invited to attend the meeting.
Aug. 10: Board of Education budget hearing.
Aug. 10: Consideration or budget approval.