5 Things to Know About the School Budget

The board of education will be holding its regular session meeting at the Wade Administration Building on Newmans Lane at 8 p.m. tonight. Among the many discussions being held will be an update on the . So, in preparation for the meeting, and a story coming Wednesday morning, we present five important things to know about the preliminary budget for the thus far.

• Early Projections—The early budget draft for the 2012-2013 school year is for $133,817,689, but nothing has been finalized as of yet.
• State Aid—The district is set to receive , which is about $1 million more than it received for the 2011-2012 school year.
• No Voting—Because the board of education opted to , residents will not have the opportunity to vote on the school budget unless it exceeds the required 2 percent tax levy cap. The current budget proposal stays within that 2 percent cap.
• World Languages—Current discussions about the budget have placed a heavy focus on a World Languages program for grades kindergarten through four. There is currently no real program for students.
• Wireless Technology—The district is also discussing better wireless technology for students in grades five through 12 to provide for the use of devices for lessons, as well as the availability of more computers for students.