No tax hike in Gateway budget

Property owners in Gateway School District will not owe the district more in property taxes this year.

The school board unanimously approved a $77.3 million spending plan, which reflects an increase of $1.9 million in expenditures from last year’s budget.

The district plans to use $673,000 from its unassigned fund balance to level out its spending plan. A total of $1.5 million from its unassigned fund balance will be used for various capital improvement projects, for a total of about $2.2 million.

Human Resources Director Patricia Crump said the district captured one social studies teacher, one language teacher, a half-time music teacher and a half-time art teacher through attrition. However, the district plans to hire a part-time English as a second language teacher, two behavior-intervention specialists, one art teacher and several special education teachers.

Board member Valerie Warning said she would vote “no” on the budget because of “unanswered questions” and the fact that $65,000 was cut from the district’s library budget. She ended up giving an affirmative vote.

The district began the budget planning season with a projected shortfall of $2.2 million that by May had been cut in half. District Business Manager Paul Schott initially recommended a property tax increase to fill the gap.

Schott said in an email the district’s real estate assessed value increased in June, which helped balance the budget.

The potential for a property tax hike was met with disdain from board members who were also hopeful the state legislature would pass a bill requiring families to pay out-of-pocket tuition to attend a cyber charter school if their home district offers a “cyber-based program equal in scope and content.”

A package of four bills aimed at cyber charter school reform gained passage in the House of Representatives but it did not address how they are funded.

Under current law, school districts must pay a per-pupil tuition fee when a student from their district decides to attend a cyber or brick-and-mortar charter school.

Schott said there are 77 students who live in the district who are enrolled in nine non-Gateway cyber charter schools this school year, bringing the total burden of $1.3 million to the district.