Interim Superintendent Richard Segall said the proposed $68 million Englewood school budget for 2008-2009 will maintain and expand student achievement gains at all grade levels, help with the transition to Dr. Grieco and enhanced Cleveland Schools, increase operating efficiency and reduce the special education impact on the district.
Englewood residents can expect a higher tax bill if the budget, presented on March 20, is approved. Those with homes assessed at $150,000 would see a $48.81 monthly increase. The school tax for them would be $1,333 annually, not including county or municipal taxes.
The increase to the local tax levy is less than in the recent past. With the proposed budget, the local tax levy would increase 3.8 percent, just under the 4 percent state mandated tax levy cap.
That jump is the lowest increase the district has seen since the 2001-2002 budget that raised the tax levy by 3.7 percent. The total tax levy for the proposed budget sits at $46.4 million.
School board member Henry Pruitt III said, "We focused on goals and needs of the district. We looked for opportunities to do things differently and refined some things. I’m very pleased with the budget and the low increase to the tax levy."
While the increase is small compared to recent years, the district is still looking to cut costs by keeping special education students in Englewood instead of sending them elsewhere.
Segall said, "The expense of a special education student can be horrendous."
School board member Shirley Smith pointed out that Englewood needs to provide assistance and the proper staff to support any additional special education students in order to reach that goal.
Questions arose about certain budget increases. Board member Margaret Mora asked why the cost of home instruction increased 46.2 percent, which she thought was significant.
Segall said, "In the past, the amount of money spent exceeded the amount budgeted." He cited several reasons. Increased awareness to bullying and intimidation has meant more suspensions and those students receive home instruction, he explained. If there are special education placement problems, the district needs to provide home instruction. When doctors determine that sick or injured students cannot attend school, the district is required to provide a minimum of 10 hours of home instruction.
Some members of the public criticized the board for not allocating funds to pay for basketball jackets. Englewood’s basketball team reached the state North Group 2 Section Final. One parent said traditionally, Englewood students received jackets and he had hoped team members would be recognized for their good work on the court.
School board members were unsure if any policy was in place. Pruitt suggested that the board discuss having a policy giving student athletes on high-achieving teams jackets or a corresponding reward.
Board members unanimously approved the preliminary school budget, which will now be submitted to the county for final review. Englewood residents will head to the polls on April 15 to accept or reject the budget.
