Troy School Board Approves District's Budget

Board of education members with the on Tuesday approved budget appropriations and millage rates for the district’s upcoming 2011-2012 fiscal year.

The budget includes an overall increase in millage rates and slight decreases in fund contributions from the current budget. School administrators said during a public hearing on the budget that increases are attributed to decreases in per pupil funding returned to the district by the state.

The general operating millage for the 2011-2012 fiscal year will increase by .4227 mills from the current millage, while the district’s debt retirement millage will remain the same. The general operating millage was set at 5.4608 for homestead properties, 11.4608 for commercial personal properties, and 18 mills for non-homestead properties.

Appropriation amounts were set at $128,282,487 for the district’s General Fund; $8,775,152 in special revenue funds; $18,448,150 for debt service funds; $1,102,084 for Capital Project Funds; and $120,000 for Internal Service Funds.

Board president Nancy Philippart said board members and staff worked to create efficiencies at the district in an attempt to reduce expenditures and produce cost savings.

“Most of the painful cuts were made last year,” Philippart said.

Despite cuts made to the current budget year, which ends on July 1, district administrators said the upcoming budget was trimmed by more than $4 million during the budget process.

Kerry Birmingham, spokeswoman for the district, said teacher concessions will save the district about $10 million over the next two years. Some of the additional measures, which were discussed during public meetings and workshops throughout March, include altering start times, increasing class sizes and athletic fees for students, and concessions to secretarial and paraprofessional contracts.

In addition to approving the district’s budget, board members took the following actions:

• Approved extending contracts with the district’s superintendent, assistant superintendents and administrative personnel.
• Heard revisions to the district’s student code of conduct, which includes revisions to policies regarding technology, bullying and cyberbullying, student dress code, and categorizing of violations.
• Approved a resolution supporting the continuation of operation and services at the .