STARKVILLE — Oktibbeha County residents got a first look Monday night at the proposed $11.6 million budget the county school district may be operating with this year.
Superintendent James Covington presented the budget to the board in a public hearing before the regularly scheduled business meeting. All board members but no members of the public were present for the session.
The 900-student school district will request local funding that will tax residents at the 55 mill cap allowed by law. This is the same tax rate residents have paid for the last few years. A mill in Oktibbeha County is worth about $58,000.
The proposed budget has $11.6 million in projected revenue and $10.8 in projected expenditures. The budget leaves almost $854,456 undesignated, which would go toward the district”s fund balance if not spent over the course of the 2009-2010 school year.
“I”m concerned because (the state Legislature) balanced the budget with stimulus money,” Covington said.
This year”s budget includes $3.6 million in local funds, $4.5 million from the state, $2.6 million from the federal government and $918,000 in Sixteenth Section land sources.
Right at half of the budget goes straight to instruction, which accounts for $5.3 million. Support services take up another $4.3 million in expenditures.
The board called a special meeting for 6 p.m. Aug. 10 in the central office to approve the budget. By law, they have until Aug. 15 to make it official.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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