OXFORD – A less-than-expected amount of state aid ultimately led the Oxford Board of Education to adopt a revised school budget Monday that is less taxpayer-friendly than the original spending plan it approved earlier this month, district officials say.
The board unanimously adopted a $17.1 million budget for 2008-09 Monday that will raise school taxes an estimated 6.5 percent. The budget reflects a 4.1 percent increase in overall spending from last year, bringing the school tax levy to $265,720.
That translates into district property owners paying $19.50 per $1,000 of their assessed value, up from $18.31 per thousand a year ago. District officials, however, say that number per thousand could decrease by August.
“I’d love to have it be 4.5 percent. But if that means losing educational value for Oxford, I’d have to let the public deal with that,” said board member John Godfrey at the meeting Monday night. “The kids will be all right (under this budget). The taxpayers may have to take a little bit more of a bite, but we can’t know for sure until August.”
August is when assessments come in, school Business Manager Harold Covey said, and historically the levy percentage has gone down 1.5 to 2.5 percent after the numbers are readjusted. The school also expects federal aid to come in by then, which could bring taxes closer to their original goal.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 8 in the primary school multi-purpose room. It will go to vote May 20.
“This budget allows us to maintain our programs and our class sizes,” said District Superintendent Randall Squier, emphasizing specifically that test scores, especially at the primary reading level, have risen under the current staff and curriculum layout.
He added that paying now may help the school avoid paying much more later.
“We also want to be able to keep a level increase, as opposed to drastic ups and downs every year,” he said, adding that the school will not transfer money from its fund balances to offset the tax increase. “We don’t want to get caught in that cycle.”
On April 8 the board adopted a budget that would’ve increased school taxes 3.95 percent. However, just days later, state aid numbers came in $253,439 less than what was proposed and administrators were forced to slash that plan to avoid what would have been a 10.16 percent tax increase, Squier explained.
“It set us back a bit,” he said.
According to budget figures, administrators cut $108,000 in funding for a number of new positions and programs – such as a new custodian position, two-part-time assistants, the bowling team and a university level language course – to bring the levy back to 6.5 percent.
Squier explained that the tax levy increase could be brought down further to 4.99 percent, but said that any more budget cuts would involve teaching positions and educational programs.
“I absolutely do not want to be taking out staff we just brought in,” said board President Robin DeBrita. “You don’t attract people to come here by bringing them in then bringing them out.”
DeBrita, however, said she was not comfortable with a 6.5 percent increase. But after a lengthy discussion, the board voted 5-0 to go with the current plan rather than “impact students.”
“They have a plan to keep things in balance,” said DeBrita. “I’m confident they’ll flex as they need to ... but it’s tight.”
Fuel and health insurance costs are two of the largest expenses in the 2008-09 budget, with the latter rising 14 percent, said Squier.