ShawneeDispatch.com

Property owners in the Shawnee Mission USD 512 are likely to see their taxes rise slightly this year to fund public schools.

On Monday, the Shawnee Mission USD 512 Board of Education approved the notice of a budget hearing for Monday, Aug. 9. In doing so, the board will publish a proposed 2010-2011 budget that calls for a 1.86 mill increase in the district’s property tax levy.

A mill is equal to $1 in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed valuation.

After the Aug. 9 public hearing, the Board will review the proposed budget and pass a form of that budget. The budget is estimated to come in at $349.7 million for the 2010-11 school year.

Tim Rooney, budget and finance manager, presented a quick overview of the proposed budget for the board at Monday’s meeting.

Total expenditures for the 2009-10 school year came to $334.8 million, which required $13.4 million to be taken from the district’s reserve operating account. The figure was less than the $15.3 million the district anticipated it would need from reserves in a May budget workshop. The reserve operating fund’s balance stands at $11.2 million.

Rooney anticipates the 2010-11 school year will require the district to take $5.3 million out of the district’s reserve operating account. The figure is less than the $7.2 million he anticipated in May’s budget workshop. Rooney anticipated a reserve operating balance of about $6 million at the end of the 2010-11 school year.

Rooney said while the numbers look optimistic there are still chances of state cuts in the coming year.

“The state ended $100 million in the hole and revenues are coming in slow. These are probably optimistic numbers because it’s likely we’ll see more cuts in the year if the economy doesn’t turn around,” he said.

The public hearing and board action on the budget will take place during a meeting at 7 p.m. at McEachen Adminsitrative Center, 7235 Antioch.

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