Belen

While the State Department of Education is not sure exactly how much the 2002-03 finances will be for school districts, the Belen School District is not worried.

“We built our 2 percent pay raises on last year’s actual unit value, so, whatever the increase is, it will not impact our employees’ salaries,” said Brad Phillips, executive director of operations. “What we will have to re-address is how we planned to spend the additional $221,200 that the $25 increase per-unit-value would generate for us.”

Items that were added to the budget by the proposed increase included:

  • The hiring of an assistant principal and counseling position for the vocation and career academy.
  • An additional music teacher for the elementary schools.
  • A new substitute assignment system.
  • A consultant to study the career ladder in regard to paying employees for getting more education.
  • Continuing to provide staffing for the Belen High School swimming pool.

The State Department of Education has asked school districts to only budget 60 percent of the difference between last year’s unit value and this year’s until it can determine the exact number of students who will be enrolled in public schools this upcoming school year.

The exact unit value will be determined when the actual enrollment numbers on the 40th day are divided into the total amount of money budgeted by the State Legislature for public education.

Until then, school districts are to operate on last year’s unit value, which is what the Belen School District’s administrators decided to do from the beginning of the budget process.

What will be affected by the impact on the unit value are the five items added to the budget because of the increased unit value. Phillips has told the Belen School Board he will bring revised budget additions to the board at their Aug. 6 meeting.

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Jane Moorman