In support of a 3.25% tax levy

For those who have been following the ongoing budget negotiations faithfully, you know that the elimination of 100% of our state aid on March 17th was a game changer. The entire proposed budget needed to be reworked in a matter of days, and submitted to the state on March 23rd.

The budget situation that we are facing this year is unprecedented, and the entire district needs to work together to cover the shortfall. The reworked budget represents equitable cuts shared by all schools, with a reduction in nearly every line item.

The proposed budget covers the shortfall in the following ways:
• Significant reduction of administrative and operational staff
• Teachers will be contributing 1.5% of their salaries to the budget
• There will be a 3.25% tax levy increase, about $220 per year for the average household

The good news that is starting to come out today is that most of the classroom services have been preserved in this budget. Significant cuts are happening, but they are outside of the classroom and will have less impact on the children. Specifically, the proposed budget has saved the following existing positions and programs from the chopping block:

• The English and History programs at the high school
• Two 6th grade teachers
• Three elementary teachers

The cost per pupil will decrease 1%, which is the first per pupil spending decrease in many years, yet the classroom instruction percentage of that number will increase. This is good news for those among us that really investigate non-classroom spending in administration and operations – those reductions this year add up to nearly $1 million in savings. The reductions are difficult but they demonstrate reasonable cost containment, and I am very glad that a vast majority of the teaching positions were saved.

I hope you agree that this is a budget worth voting for.