The Sayre Area School District's proposed preliminary budget for the 2013-14 school year includes a one-mil tax increase to offset rising expenses.
Under the proposed budget, the tax rate would increase to 45.39 mills from the current 44.39, meaning a home assessed at $70,000 would see its tax bill increase by $70. The district anticipates raising $5,854,366 through the real estate tax levy, an increase of about $129,000 from the 2012-13 year, according to the proposed preliminary budget.
The district expects to have a total of $17,954,904 in revenue available for appropriation during the 2013-14 school year, according to the proposed budget. That figure includes $7,750,826 in taxes and other local revenue sources, $7,743,087 in state funding and $416,991 in federal funding.
Under the preliminary budget, the district expects to receive decreased amounts of state and federal funding - about $440,000 less than received from the state in 2012-13 and $85,000 less from federal sources.
In addition to real estate tax revenue, $1.1 million in earned income tax revenue and $70,000 in real estate transfer taxes are expected, according to the proposed preliminary budget.
Expenditures anticipated under the spending proposal include $9,820,360 for instruction, $5,492,285 for support services, $220,388 for non-instructional services and $134,473 for facilities expenses.
The proposed preliminary budget also sets aside $725,629 for debt service, $410,000 in interfund transfers, $500,000 in the budgetary reserve and $651,769 to be placed in the fund balance for unplanned expenditures, according to the budget.
The instructional budget is expected to rise by about $373,400 over the current year, while the support services budget is expected to increase by about $187,500, with employee salaries and benefits being the main expenses in those departments, according to the proposed preliminary budget. The other figures are proposed to remain unchanged from the current year.
The board of education will vote to adopt the proposed preliminary budget at its next meeting, scheduled for Feb. 11, but adjustments may still be made before the board adopts the final budget in June.
Amanda Renko can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: arenko@thedailyreview.com.
