Fort Cherry proposed budget eyes 4-mill increase
Fort Cherry School District’s proposed 2016-17 budget of $17.5 million includes a 4-mill tax increase and restructuring of classes and teacher assignments. The proposed millage of 130.5 would result in an annual real estate tax bill increase of about $38, according to administrators.
The increase would provide $190,000 in additional tax revenue, according to business manager Jessica Drylie, but the budget would still be left with a $238,000 deficit.
The board unanimously approved the budget Monday that eliminates Spanish 3 and 4 classes in favor of a new French or German teacher. The budget also cuts family consumer science classes and decreases the budget for vocational and technical classes. The board also tabled – effectively rejecting – Western Area Career & Technology Center’s proposed budget of $5.82 million.
“The superintendents whose districts are with WACTC are not supporting this budget because they made no cuts. We’ve made cuts and we believe if we do, they should as well,” said Superintendent Dr. Jill Jacoby, “because we don’t have much sustainability if we don’t cut programs and personnel.”
The board also unanimously approved an increase in cafeteria prices. Elementary lunch and breakfast prices will increase 10 and 20 cents, respectively, to $1.55 and $2.65. The same increases for high school prices will have meals costing $1.60 and $2.65. Adult lunches were increased 45 cents to $4.00 and milk prices increased 10 cents to 75 cents.
The board approved the purchase of a new greenhouse for $29,000, of which just $8,000 will be paid by the district after receiving grants, Jacoby said.
In other business, the board tabled action regarding indoor air quality testing in the district’s buildings. Jacoby said the proposed measure was to perform baseline testing in response to concerns from parents about natural gas drilling and production near the campus. The board discussed the issue and decided it did not have enough information to request the exact type of data it would want from a testing company.