- By Dan Veaner
- News
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Lansing School District voters will get a chance to learn about the 2006-2007 budget at a public hearing in the Middle School cafeteria on May 4th at 7:00pm. The budget was approved by the Board of Education (BOE) in a 6 to 1 vote in their meeting a week ago after several drafts and heated discussion among the board, teachers, parents and administrators. The budget represents a 7.73 increase over this year, which will mean a 5.09% increase in the tax rate if voters approve it.
Teachers and some parents wanted to keep teaching and other positions, and argued to keep teachers in the Elementary school despite lower student population projections. A hotly debated secretarial position was taken out after parents and teachers argued against adding administrative positions at the expense of teachers. The secretary would have served the new Director of Curriculum, who will now share an existing secretary. Technology staff was also debated with everyone agreeing that more technology support in the district and educationally is needed to make Lansing competitive in the modern world. It was proposed that the Director of Technology, now a half-time job, be made full time. But cost concerns put that plan on hold and the position will remain a .5 Full Time Equivalency (FTE) job, at least for next school year.
The final budget included a technology integration specialist and an elementary computer lab aide, but did not include the secretarial position. Across the board building cuts, originally slated to be 10% were lowered to 5% in the final budget. After positions and partial positions were added or deleted from the budget $248,273 was added. Automatic raises for teachers, insurance, fuel costs and debt services added $1,431,822. The total approved budget came to $21,553,679, up $1,546,018 from this year.
| 2006-2007 Budget Facts
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Board members agreed that there is a need to service growing programs. Tom Keane said, "I am comfortable with a 7.3% increase in the budget. The 5.3% tax rate is manageable and lets us keep programs. Board Vice President Anne Drake struggled with the increase, noting that many taxpayers are worrying about rising taxes and their ability to afford to remain in Lansing. She voted against the increase that will mean a .935 per thousand increase in the next tax bill.
The budget is only one item that will be on the ballot when school district voters go to the polls on May 16. Drake and Sandi Dhimitri will be running uncontested to retain their BOE seats. Two resolutions will also be on the ballot. The first resolution asks voters to approve the purchase of three busses and two vans at a maximum cost of $245,000. The vans may be used to reduce the cost of bussing students in runs such as the 5 o'clock bus run where fewer riders need transportation. The second resolution will ask for $130,000 to raise up to $130,000 for fitness equipment.
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