Plum School Board to Hold Special Budget Work Session

Plum School District officials have cut about $1 million from the 2013-14 school year budget, but they still have quite a ways to go.

Currently, the budget reflects a $3.3 million deficit. Last month, the budget had a $4.3 million deficit.

The school board will hold a special finance committee meeting to serve as a budget work session on Tuesday, April 2, in the Oblock Jr. High School auditorium. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

Projected expenses are $58.6 million with revenue at $55.4 million.

The district's millage rate most likely will be lowered due to the county-wide reassessment, according to district business manager Eugene Marraccini. He said the district's overall assessment jumped from $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion.

Under state law, taxing bodies must adjust millage rates to be "revenue neutral" to prevent an inadvertant tax increase. Currently, the district's rate is 22.2 mills. Marraccini said last month that the "revenue neutral" rate would be in the "high 17s, low 18s."

Marraccini has said several factors contribute to the large deficit this year—special education costs, salaries, insurance, technology and, biggest of all, pension contributions.

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