The Great Bend school district is ready to send their proposed 2017-2018 budget to print. The estimated operating budget for the upcoming school year is $20,163,800 and total expenditures for all funds for the year is $52,610,802.

The mill levy essentially stayed flat at 45.931 mills, which is down .015 from the 2016-2017 school year.

USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton says there was an increase in the local option budget (LOB) because of reduced state aid, but it was washed out by other decreases.

Khris Thexton Audio

Assessed valuation for the school district increased nearly $4.9 million for the 2017-2018 proposed budget. The district decreased their debt by over $1.7 million to $2,687,911.

Thexton warned the USD 428 Board of Education that there was a 102 percent increase in the capital improvement expenditures fund, but the district has no intention of spending the allotted money.

Khris Thexton Audio

The reserved cash funds went from $3,290,709 on July 1, 2016 to $3,427,322 on July 1, 2017. The average salary for administration is $92,872 while the average salary for full-time teachers is $41,904.

USD 428 will publish the proposed budget in the Great Bend Tribune today. There will be a 10-day wait for any district tax payer to comment or address concerns before the school board will adopt the budget on August 22.