Byram Hills Projects 1% Spending Hike Next Year
Byram Hills school officials project a spending increase of about 1 percent for 2011-12, the second straight year there would be a minimal jump.
Superintendent Dr. Jacquelyn Taylor said she was upbeat about the upcoming budget, particularly in a difficult economy with the persistent challenge to preserve the district’s programs.
Taylor and school trustees explained the factors impacting next year’s budget during a PowerPoint presentation at the Jan. 24 board of education meeting. She is expected to formally introduce the administration’s proposed budget on March 8.
“Our goal is that every current kindergartener will get the same excellent programs as our current seniors,” Taylor said.
The $78 million 2010-11 budget, which also featured a 1 percent spending increase, saw faculty and staff reductions caused primarily by an enrollment decline at Wampus Elementary School. No further layoffs are expected next year.
Taylor said she was encouraged by the minimal budget increase because it would maintain the district’s excellent program. Nearly three-quarters of the Byram Hills High School graduating class will attend the top 7 percent of colleges in the country, she said.
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