ELBRIDGE -- 11:00pm Update:
Jordan-Elbridge reconsidered almost every line in the new proposed school budget. The district is now asking for 3.9% tax increase instead of the 7.3% increase in the budget that was overwhelmingly defeated. The district also wants to restore 4 full time and one part time job.
Bert Mott was on the school board for ten years and hopes this new budget will pass so the district can move forward.
"I think they've got a long way to go. I think the community will be a good ten years before they get back to where they were," said Bert Mott.
The new budget assumes the district's state aid and grants will go up next year. The new budget also proposes moving some debt service payments to next year - a move the district's finance consultant says will not have a negative long term effect.
"We could be looking at budget cuts next year, we could be looking at the same kind of cuts next year. But it won't be because this piece of debt service was up because that piece of debt service was going to be there anyway," said school finances consultant Thomas Strain.
Julie Hickey saw some good in the new budget but was having trouble moving past the school board's recent string of controversies.
"I think 3.9 is better than 7.3 but at this point I am hesitant to believe anything that comes out of the Board of Ed. right now," said Hickey.
If the budget is defeated again the school board can adopt a contingency budget and a 3.6% tax hike.
The new Jordan-Elbridge school budget vote will be next Tuesday, June 14. Polls will be open at the high school from 7:00am to 9:00pm.
The Jordan-Elbridge School District is hoping its latest budget proposal will be approved by taxpayers.The district is proposing 3.9% tax increase--that's down from a 7% increase in the original budget that was voted down by taxpayers. The district says in order to get its budget in line, it's relying on making cuts in other areas and banking on receiving more money from the state next year.
Some residents at tonight's meeting had a lot of questions. Some tell us they're skeptical the board can get the job done, while others are hopeful the budget would pass.
Taxpayers vote on the proposal on Tuesday, June 21st at the high school.
Alex Dunbar has more on tonight's board meeting coming up on the CW6 News at 10 and on NBC3 and CBS5 News at 11.
