Enrollment up, mill levy down at Centre
Budget hearing is Aug. 22
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
For the first time in at least seven or eight years, preliminary enrollment figures show an increase in students at Centre USD #397, Lost Springs.
The latest head count stands at 301, an increase of 36 from the previous year. Full-time equivalency stands at 289.
The increase reportedly is due to families moving into the district, home-schoolers entering the public school system, and additional out-of-district students.
The board of education heard the good news Monday at their regular monthly meeting.
They held a lengthy discussion about the 2005-06 budget and the possibility of lowering the overall mill levy because of the expected increase in state aid along with an increase in assessed district valuations.
"It's kind of nice to have the luxury of having this discussion," said board president Clark Davis.
In the end, they approved a proposed budget of 43.124 mills, a decrease of approximately 3.5 mills from the previous year.
The proposed budget includes 20 mills for the general fund, 17.352 for the supplemental general fund (LOB), two for capital outlay, and 3.772 for bond and interest.
The proposed budget would increase the general fund by more than $327,000.
Although the LOB mill levy was reduced from 18.6 to 17.3, the fund will raise approximately $185,000, about $20,000 more than the previous year.
The levy for capital outlay was dropped from four mills to two and will raise approximately $31,000.
The estimated tax rate is subject to slight change depending on final assessed valuation.
A hearing on the budget will be conducted at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 at Centre High School library. Detailed budget information is available at the district office at Lost Springs and will be available at the hearing.
