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Schools

Springs Adopts $24.8 Million Budget, Hiking Taxes 5.8 Percent

Parents, teachers and board members says they are more concerned than ever about getting Springs citizens to pass this year's budget.

The Board of Education unanimously approved a $24.8 million budget for the 2011 school year at , a decision that coul hike the local tax rate 5.8 percent if approved.

If residents choose to vote it down on May 17, Ken Hamilton, retired district treasurer, explained that a contingency budget would still mean a 4.3 percent tax rate increase.

Hamilton said there are state mandated cuts with a contingency budget.

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“The roof repair would come out and the bus would come out,” as well as a few mandated equipment cuts.

"Afterschool programs and extracurricular programs are allowed on a contingent budget,” he said.

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The current proposed budget includes a $523,000 applied to roof repair and the purchase of a bus from the fund balance. The fund balance has extra money in it this year because of the . And school officials have said the application of the fund balance to those changes has resulted in a lower tax rate increase with the proposed budget.

“For the average Springs taxpayer, the difference between the proposed 5.8 percent tax increase and a 4.3 contingency percent tax increase would be $74 per year or $1.42 per week,” he said.

In the case of a contingency, Board of Education President Chris Kelley said, in that case, they would have to reevaluate at “the , again.”

Kelley also announced he would not run for a new term.

Tim Frazier, Springs School parent and Southampton Intermediate School Principal, asked what the board can do to get the community informed about the budget. He said, “it seems like there is a lot of misinformation out there.”

Kelley said, “The board is limited in the role of advocacy but the PTA can take a role.” They will send out a fact sheet about the budget and have talked to different groups including Springs Concerned Citizens.

Superintendent Michael Hartner added, “I will be giving a presentation at the Springs Citizen Advisory Committee.”

Frazier urged the board to do more. He said they should hold discussions and forums around the community, maybe go to the senior citizen home, so citizens know the facts about the budget.

Recently, Springs Homeowners Alliance launched a website to gather support to vote down the budget. The homepage reads, "We are currently involved in organizing to vote NO to the 2011-2012 Springs School annual budget on the May 17, 2011. We are questioning why $4,000,000 in potential reductions to the budget were dropped from consideration when formulating the budget."

PTA President Liz Mendelman said PTA members plan to call parents in the school to support the budget.

“I think we in springs have been extremely fortunate to see over the last couple of year community members have come out and supported Springs School.”

But, she said, “We can’t sit there and expect the same thing will happen that did last year. We cannot sit here and do nothing because there is potential that our budget that could be turned down. There are residents are not happy with the tax increase.”

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