Schools
School Tax Levy Increase at 3.44 Percent
After a successful tax certiorari suit, the district was able to restore $1.4 million back into the budget, which is now projected at $107,542,716.
The Garden City Board of Education introduced the first presentation of the instructional portion of the proposed budget for 2013-14 Tuesday evening at Garden City High School.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen opened the presentation with good news for taxpayers and students alike. After a successful tax certiorari suit, the district was able to restore $1.4 million back into the budget.
The overall budget is now projected at $107,542,716 with a tax levy increase of 3.44 percent.
"We talked last week about the fact that the county guarantee had been reinstated," said Feirsen. "Therefore, I got the sense from the board that the $1.4 million should be realigned to two purposes. One is to reduce the burden on the taxpayers by reducing the tax burden and tax increase. The second one is to perhaps target some of the areas that under other circumstances, if the suit had not been successful, we would be up here talking about some significant program reductions."
Assistant Superintendent for Business Albert Chase spoke about the new proposed tax levy and the total increase of $3,327,188 from last year's budget numbers.
"Pension is $2.1 million of the total budget increase, which is only $3.3 million," Chase said. "We're required to contribute to the pensions of the teachers, all the staff. We're mandated by law. It's not something that's optional."
Feirsen felt it was important that the community know the instructional portion of the budget makes up a large sum of the proposal, totaling $79,647,207.
"Most of the budget is program-based, so most of the taxpayer's money is going to programs directly benefiting the district's students," he explained.
A main concern for residents within the instructional budget was the reduction of 6.5 full-time equivalent instructors at the elementary and secondary levels. The cuts take away one teacher at Stratford School, one grade 6 teacher, one grade 8 core subject team and one part-time high school reading teacher.
"It's due to enrollment decreases, and a high school reading teacher because the grant we've been using to support that teacher, we don't anticipate receiving again. It's a part of our steady-shrinking federal dollars," Feirsen said.
The board will reconvene April 10 for the final budget meeting before the anticipated budget adoption April 16.
