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Juda school district tax rate to rise by almost $2
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JUDA - Juda school district voters opted unanimously for a hike of almost $2 in the tax rate for next year.

Based on the budget approved at the district annual meeting last week, school district residents will be paying a tax rate of $13.20 per $1,000 property value for 2013-1014 school year. The current rate is $11.26 per $1,000.

At the new rate, the owner of a $100,000 house can expect to pay $1,320, and the owner of a $200,000 property will pay $2,640 in local school taxes.

The rate represents a tax levy amount of $1.32 million, up $184,000 or 16 percent, from $1.14 million last year.

The 2013-14 budget for the general fund expenditures, which includes curriculum, pupil and teacher services, and administration, requires $3.35 million, up 2.8 percent, or $92,500 more, than $3.26 million last year.

Increases in the general fund compared to last year come from regular curriculum, up 4.8 percent, or $37,500; vocational curriculum, up 11.6 percent or $22,200; pupil services, up 39 percent or $23,700; and open enrollment, up 23 percent or $33,200. Transfers to other funds were up 32 percent or $63,900.

Helping to counterbalance the increases were a $39,500 decrease in undifferentiated curriculum, down 6.36 percent, and a $48,300 decrease in central services, down 30 percent.

Staying steady are funds for special education at $444,000; food service at $147,000; and community service at $20,000.

Contributing to the tax rate increase, besides the budget increases, the district's equalized property values, collectively at about $100.1 million, are also a little shy by about $860,000 compared to last year. State-certified values haven't been received yet.