Residents of School Administrative District 13 in Bingham and Moscow will be asked to vote again on a budget they rejected in July — but with a difference this time.
The same $3,499,635 budget to be offered will end up costing less for taxpayers because of an increase in state subsidy. The new budget, for which there will be a hearing at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 in the Quimby school gymnasium in Bingham, has about $50,000 more in state funding than the previous offerings, which should make the spending package more palatable.
New state figures show that the district is receiving a total of $912,470 for the year.
SAD 13 voters said “no” July 25 to the proposed school budget for the coming year. It was the second proposed budget to be rejected this summer.
The referendum vote was 88-44 against the proposed $3,499,635 budget for the coming year — a spending package that was $122,441 lower than the one rejected in June.
Board Chairman Brian Malloy said that vote was disappointing. He said the school board and the central office staff worked hard to bring a good budget to the voters, but now they will have to try again.
“They had been very concerned about the big carry-over. They had been concerned about our new principal and how we were handling those positions,” Malloy said after the votes were counted. “As far as what we do next, I don’t know. We’ll come up with a new budget in due time and see what happens the third time around.”
Residents in June said no 80-58 to a budget of $3,622,076 for 2017-2018 that had showed an increase in spending of $162,568.
The vote was cast June 13 by secret-ballot referendum. Voters earlier had approved the spending package during the June 6 budget meeting.
Highlights of the proposed budget, which was supposed to have taken effect July 1, include $1,311,789 for regular instruction, down from the rejected $1,344,808; $546,287 for special education, down from the proposed $556,456 in June; $255,269 for system administration, down from the proposed $264,869 originally; and $255,460, down from $324,752 for school administration.
The districtwide budget referendum is set for secret ballot referendum in both towns Sept. 5.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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