MONROE - The Monroe school district adopted a $30.3 million budget Monday that reflects a 7.6 percent increase over the actual amount spent last year.
Superintendent Larry Brown opened the annual meeting by reiterating the district's commitment to spending money wisely.
"The school board, and the school district as a whole, has really put forth a great deal of effort to be fiscally responsible," he said. "We need to spend money to educate our children, but we don't do that foolishly."
The total tax levy, or the amount coming directly from local taxpayers, approved Monday is about $11.9 million. That represents an increase of 3.52 percent over last year's levy of about $11.5 million. However, Business Manager Ron Olson said those amounts were calculated and published before the actual change of total equalized property value in the district was determined. The district assumed no increase; the valuation numbers are now in and show an average increase of 1.96 percent across the district.
That change means the actual tax levy will total $11,892,687, or an increase of 3.32 percent over last year. The school board will vote to officially amend those numbers at its meeting next week.
The resulting mill rate will be $11.83 per $1,000 of property value, an increase of 1.32 percent over last year. That means the owner of a $150,000 home in the district will pay $1,775 in taxes for school purposes, up from $1,752 last year.
The balanced budget includes $30.3 million in expenditures offset by the same amount in revenues. Last year's revenues were $29.7 million and expenditures, which came in under budget, were $28.1 million.
The financial picture could have been much more grim, Brown said.
Last spring, school districts were scrambling to figure out how they would handle cuts in state aid dollars delivered to local school districts. At the time, Olson projected the increase in the tax levy could be as high as 18.5 percent, a reality other districts in the state are facing. However, the Monroe district took measures such as refinancing its debt to help offset a decrease in state aid.
This is the second consecutive year the district is not levying the full amount it is allowed to under the authority granted in the April 2007 referendum, Brown and Olson added. This year's budget does not include about $1.3 million of its $2.3 million referendum authority for this year, and last year, the district did not use $500,000 of its referendum authority.
Olson walked through the budget, explaining where money is spent within the school system. Salary and benefits account for about 75 percent of expenditures, he said. Utilities, maintenance and bus transportation are about 11 percent of the total budget, while supplies are about 5 percent; capital objects, 2 percent; and insurance and unemployment, 1 percent.
A handful of educators also attended the annual meeting. No one spoke or voted against the budget measures. At an annual meeting, any resident is allowed to vote. The 2010 annual meeting will be Monday, Oct. 18.
Superintendent Larry Brown opened the annual meeting by reiterating the district's commitment to spending money wisely.
"The school board, and the school district as a whole, has really put forth a great deal of effort to be fiscally responsible," he said. "We need to spend money to educate our children, but we don't do that foolishly."
The total tax levy, or the amount coming directly from local taxpayers, approved Monday is about $11.9 million. That represents an increase of 3.52 percent over last year's levy of about $11.5 million. However, Business Manager Ron Olson said those amounts were calculated and published before the actual change of total equalized property value in the district was determined. The district assumed no increase; the valuation numbers are now in and show an average increase of 1.96 percent across the district.
That change means the actual tax levy will total $11,892,687, or an increase of 3.32 percent over last year. The school board will vote to officially amend those numbers at its meeting next week.
The resulting mill rate will be $11.83 per $1,000 of property value, an increase of 1.32 percent over last year. That means the owner of a $150,000 home in the district will pay $1,775 in taxes for school purposes, up from $1,752 last year.
The balanced budget includes $30.3 million in expenditures offset by the same amount in revenues. Last year's revenues were $29.7 million and expenditures, which came in under budget, were $28.1 million.
The financial picture could have been much more grim, Brown said.
Last spring, school districts were scrambling to figure out how they would handle cuts in state aid dollars delivered to local school districts. At the time, Olson projected the increase in the tax levy could be as high as 18.5 percent, a reality other districts in the state are facing. However, the Monroe district took measures such as refinancing its debt to help offset a decrease in state aid.
This is the second consecutive year the district is not levying the full amount it is allowed to under the authority granted in the April 2007 referendum, Brown and Olson added. This year's budget does not include about $1.3 million of its $2.3 million referendum authority for this year, and last year, the district did not use $500,000 of its referendum authority.
Olson walked through the budget, explaining where money is spent within the school system. Salary and benefits account for about 75 percent of expenditures, he said. Utilities, maintenance and bus transportation are about 11 percent of the total budget, while supplies are about 5 percent; capital objects, 2 percent; and insurance and unemployment, 1 percent.
A handful of educators also attended the annual meeting. No one spoke or voted against the budget measures. At an annual meeting, any resident is allowed to vote. The 2010 annual meeting will be Monday, Oct. 18.