Burrell School District proposes 2.9% property tax hike

Burrell School District’s $32.5 million preliminary budget for next school year calls for a 2.9% increase in property taxes.

If the school board approved the proposed 2.8 mill increase, the owner of a home assessed at $22,500 who currently pays $2,159 in taxes would see their annual bill go up $64, to $2,223.

The board will vote on the final budget during its regular board meeting at 7:30 p.m. June 18 in the high school board room, 1021 Puckety Church Rd.

The proposed budget has a deficit of $60,668 and is about 7% higher than this year’s spending plan, according to Jennifer Callahan, the school district’s business administrator and board secretary.

Major expenditures and spending increases include: Payroll, up 2.3%; retirement contributions, up 4.7%; special education services and student placement tuition costs, up 11.7%; and a $1.4 million transfer to the capital reserve fund for capital improvements.