Video: Water Valley Schools Finalizing Budget Despite Cuts

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WATER VALLEY, Miss. (WCBI) — Water Valley school leaders are finalizing budget plans for the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Kim Chrestman tells WCBI they have a larger proposed budget, but less funding to work with.

He says the district is getting more than $44,000 less in state funding this year than last year, despite the new teacher pay raise requirements.

Chrestman says because of the decrease in funding, they’ll have to raise property taxes.

He says they’ve already had to cut four teachers for the upcoming school year.

“Simply by using the MAEP [Mississippi Adequate Education Program] formula, it’s requiring us to stay at our same level, to ask for $167,000 more from local taxes or local contributions than we did last year,” Chrestman said. “We’re also having to ask for a four percent increase in tax rate.”

School leaders will vote on the 2014-2015 budget at a hearing Tuesday night.

Categories: Local News

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