The Port Washington board of education presented an updated 2023-2024 tentative budget proposal of $184,265,295 at their meeting Tuesday night.
The total budget is a 5.39% increase from the current budget of $174,834,928. The district’s tax levy is set at $154,523,228.
“This budget is incredibly student-centered,” Superintendent Michael Hynes said.
This budget will serve the district’s 5,270 students, based on an enrollment report calculation on March 29. This is 37 more students than at this time last year, according to Assistant Superintendent Christopher Shields.
Due to changes in debt service payments, the estimated tax levy increase for the 2023-24 budget is currently at 2.37%. The allowable tax levy increase for the Port Washington school district is 2.64%.
To balance the budget, the district had to reduce support staff, reduce transportation costs by purchasing new buses and hiring drivers and reduce multiple codes.
Budget challenges the district faced included an 18% increase in health insurance premium rates, transportation costs, increases in contractual costs due to inflation and rising utility costs.
Total aid for the school district in 2023-2024 is estimated at $20,310,810, an increase compared to the current budget’s total aid of $15,861,608.
The budget will be voted on by the board on April 18. A public budget hearing will be held on May 2. Residents will then vote on the budget on May 16 in the school board election. The election will also include a vote for two members of the board of education.
The board also approved a district policy at their meeting that prohibits smoking of any kind, including e-cigarettes, and will be posted in buildings, at designated outdoor locations on school premises, such as the athletic fields, and in all district vehicles.
Smoking will be prohibited in all district buildings, on school grounds, at school-sponsored activities and in school-sponsored vehicles.
This policy is to address the health hazards due to smoking and will be in accordance with federal and state law.
The policy states that students who violate this policy will be reported to an administrator and may be subject to consequences outlined in the code of conduct.
The board will convene again at 7:30 p.m. on April 18 at Paul D. Schreiber High School, when they will vote to adopt the district’s budget. Meetings can be live-streamed and viewed on the district’s YouTube channel.
