BURTON SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTS BUDGET AND TAX RATE

  

The Burton School Board adopted a balanced budget at their meeting Monday evening.  The adopted budget for this year came in at 5.09 million which was revised down during budget workshop meetings from the initial proposed budget of 5.11 million.  The budget is about 4 percent higher than last year’s $4.9 million budget.  Superintendent Dr. Edna Kennedy explained that most of the increase is due to the across the board teacher pay increase and from the increased student enrollment.

Burton trustees also voted to adopt a total tax rate of $1.17 per $100 valuation.  That is the same tax rate that the district approved last year.  While most property values in the district went up this year, County Tax Appraiser Willy Dilworth explained that tax revenue from oil and gas production is way down.  Dilworth said that the district will lose over $500,000 this year due to lower mineral values.

Burton residents will be voting in November on an $18 million school improvement bond issue.  The school improvements would include additional classrooms, a new gymnasium and a new football stadium.  Enrollment at Burton has grown steadily in the past 10 years.  Superintendent Kennedy said that enrollment has increased about 25 students each fall.  The proposed bond issue would add an additional 31 cents to the tax rate in 2017, putting Burton near the highest taxing of similar sized districts in the area.  Four community forums have been organized to inform the public about the school improvements and the proposed bond issue.  The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 29th at the Burton High School auditorium.