Riverview School Board passes budget with 2.23% tax increase

Riverview School District property taxpayers will see a 2.23% tax increase next school year.

After months of debate between school board members, a $28.45 million budget was approved in a 5-3 vote.

School Directors Anthony Paris, Stefani Garibay and Bridget Seery voted against the budget. Board member Roger Pogoda was absent from the meeting.

The 0.5591-mill real estate tax hike will cover expenses such as anticipated increases for technology due to tariffs and “mandatory” security guard staffing, said district Business Manager Sheila Lubert.

Paris said he was hesitant to raise taxes when the increase would close a deficit of only about $300,000.

“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Paris said. “If we were talking about another million (dollars) then we would need to have a different discussion.”

Board President Wendy Wilton said the cost of contracts, including insurance, transportation and other required expenditures, would be rising, and the district needs to be prepared to be able to cover those costs.

“I don’t feel it’s responsible to not cover (rising costs) even a little bit with the base we have,” she said. “I understand $300,000 might not sound like a lot. But if we don’t have that $300,000 next year, or we cut it again next year and not raise taxes, costs are going to keep going up and the deficit might be even bigger next time. I just don’t feel it’s responsible when we know what the future holds for school funding.”

She said prices are increasing much more than funding.

“Costs are going up for everybody, for every one of us up here, for every business,” Wilton said. “To say that schools should be the ones to take up the slack — I don’t feel that way.”

To put her point in perspective, Wilton said the school received about $50,000 more in state funding this past year, but the increase didn’t even come close to matching the district’s insurance costs which went up by $150,000.

“One of the reasons we’re here is to protect our kids and to make sure they have a good environment,” said board member Erin Schuetz.

She said the board has the power to cut a few things from the budget, but those things include school supplies, books, student activities and curriculum — things she was not willing to compromise on.

She said continuously dipping into emergency or reserve funds can be a “rocky road,” leading to having to make those cuts in the future.

“None of this is easy, but when it comes down to it, for me, it is about what’s in the best interest for our kids,” Schuetz said.