The Hutchinson Public Schools Board of Education Monday took its first official look at the 2013-14 budget.
The budget proposes general fund legal maximum spending of around $30.915 million. The budget doesn’t includes any new money in the base state aid per pupil. Base state aid per pupil is at 3-thousand, 838-dollars.
Overall, the estimated tax rate for the 2013-14 school year for district taxpayers will be 60.619 mills or 4.439 mills higher than this past year.
The board will have the formal public hearing on the budget at 7:05 p-m, on August 12, at the Administration Center, 1520 North Plum. At that time, the board could reduce the maximum budget but cannot increase it.
Also during Monday’s meeting, the board heard a report on the International Baccalaureate Programme. Hutchinson High School was the first Kansas school west of U.S. 81 to offer the full diploma program.
In its eighth year, Hutch High has seen 91 percent of its IB diploma candidates receive the full diploma. The program was initiated in 2004 with the Class of 2006 receiving the first diplomas.
Hutch has students who take International Baccalaureate classes and then take examinations for certificates.
In addition to receiving a world-class diploma, the vast majority of colleges award credit for students who successfully pass examinations. Typically, HHS students who have received full diplomas have received college credit from nearly a semester of college work to approximately a year of college.