North Pike School District officials unveiled a $16.79 million budget for the school system’s 2008-09 fiscal year during a public hearing Tuesday night.
The proposed budget is about $1.4 million more than the current budget but does not include a change in the district’s 35.2-mill property tax. The district’s board of trustees is expected to approve the budget at its July 3 meeting.
Only one resident, Paul Dancsisin, attended the public hearing, which was conducted by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ben Cox and school district business manager Tina Griffin.
Dancsisin commended Cox, Griffin and other district employees for their operation of the school district.
The proposed budget includes $16.79 million in revenue, with $11.6 million in state funds, $2.6 million in local funding and $1.7 million in federal funds.
Of that group, Mississippi Adequate Education Program funds account for $10.96 million of the state funds, while the district’s property tax revenues account for $1.8 million of the local revenue.
The remainder of the district’s revenue comes from $763,100 in 16th Section land revenue which includes leases, oil and gas royalties and timber revenue and an additional $5.5 million from other revenue sources.
Cox said the district’s expenses total $16.675 million, with $11.47 million of that going to salaries and benefits.
Other expenses include:
• $1.46 million on the district’s remaining building projects, which include the band and football/soccer practice fields, softball field, high school gym renovations and additional rooms to the district’s administration building.
• $195,000 for technology, which includes computers for the school district, and the construction of the district’s Internet system and Web site, and $195,000 in textbooks.
Cox said the district also is buying three new school buses for a total of $234,900. He said the district is budgeting $216,000 for diesel fuel.
He said fuel prices should not affect the school district or its participation in athletic or extra curricular activities.
“I’m not cutting any athletic programs,” Cox said. “If the students want a program and there is enough interest in the program, I will add it.”
