MONROE - Amid continuing discussions on a school referendum this fall and what would be cut if it fails, Monroe school district's Ron Olson delivered some good news to the school board Monday even as he projected a flat budget for next year.
Olson, the district's business administrator, said the 2015-16 deficit looks like it will be less than $400,000. That's less than half of the budgeted amount.
"We had a lot of things go right this year," he said. Heating, snow removal and transportation costs were lower than expected because of favorable weather and low gas prices.
But next year the deficit is projected to grow to $1.1 million, which is an increase of more than 27 percent from this year's $840,000 budgeted deficit.
Olson presented the temporary operating budget for the 2016-17 school year, estimating general fund costs at $28.4 million, a 0.4-percent increase from this year's $28.3 million budget.
None of the preliminary numbers include the possible referendum, which - if passed - would increase revenue by way of a higher property tax levy.
"I don't like to talk what is the levy, what is the mill rate at this point in the year, you know, because it's so early we don't have any idea, really, what the revenue limit's going to be and what our aid's going to be," Olson said.
State aid and the revenue limit depend on student enrollment numbers that aren't known until September. Olson said he was "nervous, a little bit" about enrollment, especially because of low 4K enrollment last year that he attributed to a lower birth rate four years ago caused by the economic recession.
"Hopefully it bounces back and it's good again this year," he said. "We come - everywhere, it's not just Monroe, but everywhere - more and more volatile with our move-ins and move-outs, and it really gets tough on a year-to-year basis."
With those unknowns, as well as unknown property valuations, Olson estimated that school taxes would be about $1,018 on a $100,000 house, which is a 4.8-percent decrease or $51 less than last year.
The mill rate would be $10.18 per thousand dollars of assessed value, compared to $10.70 last year.
The proposed property tax rate is based on an estimated $10.5 million total levy for 2016-17 and property valuations from last year. The 2015-16 total levy was about $11.1 million.
The budget will be refined through the summer and fall as more information becomes available; the final budget will be approved at the district's annual meeting Oct. 17.
Olson, the district's business administrator, said the 2015-16 deficit looks like it will be less than $400,000. That's less than half of the budgeted amount.
"We had a lot of things go right this year," he said. Heating, snow removal and transportation costs were lower than expected because of favorable weather and low gas prices.
But next year the deficit is projected to grow to $1.1 million, which is an increase of more than 27 percent from this year's $840,000 budgeted deficit.
Olson presented the temporary operating budget for the 2016-17 school year, estimating general fund costs at $28.4 million, a 0.4-percent increase from this year's $28.3 million budget.
None of the preliminary numbers include the possible referendum, which - if passed - would increase revenue by way of a higher property tax levy.
"I don't like to talk what is the levy, what is the mill rate at this point in the year, you know, because it's so early we don't have any idea, really, what the revenue limit's going to be and what our aid's going to be," Olson said.
State aid and the revenue limit depend on student enrollment numbers that aren't known until September. Olson said he was "nervous, a little bit" about enrollment, especially because of low 4K enrollment last year that he attributed to a lower birth rate four years ago caused by the economic recession.
"Hopefully it bounces back and it's good again this year," he said. "We come - everywhere, it's not just Monroe, but everywhere - more and more volatile with our move-ins and move-outs, and it really gets tough on a year-to-year basis."
With those unknowns, as well as unknown property valuations, Olson estimated that school taxes would be about $1,018 on a $100,000 house, which is a 4.8-percent decrease or $51 less than last year.
The mill rate would be $10.18 per thousand dollars of assessed value, compared to $10.70 last year.
The proposed property tax rate is based on an estimated $10.5 million total levy for 2016-17 and property valuations from last year. The 2015-16 total levy was about $11.1 million.
The budget will be refined through the summer and fall as more information becomes available; the final budget will be approved at the district's annual meeting Oct. 17.