Beatrice Board of Education reviews the coming year's district budget

BEATRICE – The Beatrice Board of Education will be contemplating a roughly $40 million budget for the district this coming year…..one that will decrease the district’s total tax levy by three-percent.

Superintendent Jason Alexander reviewed the budget with the board during a committee session Thursday night. The $40.14 million dollar plan would represent a spending increase, but a decrease in overall tax rate from this year’s $1.075….to $1.045. The general fund levy under the plan would drop from 90-cents, to 88-cents.

"The narrative has been created that schools are overspending...schools are overspending....that's what we've heard from our policy-makers for years...and that's not the case. Our budgets have increased about 2.5% and our spending about 2.5%. That's a cost of living increase. The reality is that the state's budget has increased more than that....4-to-5%..and even more."

The overall property tax request, under the proposal….would total nearly $15.96 million for the district’s general fund and building fund….a tax request that increases about 7%. Property valuation in District 15 this year increased by about 13%.

Just before the committee session, the school board approved a resolution in a special meeting to allow the district to access up to 6% more in tax funding….though officials say it won’t necessarily be used….but is seen more as an insurance policy.

Alexander says key factors in setting a new budget include anticipated wage increases, adding bus routes with higher transportation costs, updating curriculum software and textbooks…along with maintenance and repair, including a large project on the horizon.

"We are in a situation where the field turf is going to have to be replaced at the House of Orange. It's been there now, I think, twelve years....twelve, thirteen years. It's a safety concern at this point, so that's something that we're working on. We'll bring that information to you, but that's a $600,000 expense."

Salaries and wages make up about 85-to-90-percent of the Beatrice School District budget. Alexander says higher reimbursement for special education in a plan approved by state lawmakers will help fill a budget gap this year.

Final approval of the Beatrice School District budget will be considered in mid to late September.