Union-Endicott Board Approves Budget Proposal

The UE Board of Education has officially adopted their budget proposal for the 2013-14 school year during a special meeting Monday morning. The $74,018,097 spending plan includes a tax levy increase of 2.04%, which is lower than the maximum allowable limit. The district received one-time grants from the state, which allowed them to provide some relief to taxpayers by lowering the tax levy. The district received an additional $3.1 million in one-time aid from the state, after the Huron campus was reassessed, affecting about 10 percent of the district’s tax base. When the location was reassessed, the district had already passed a budget and was forced to freeze spending. They were also able to restore some programs that were removed in previous years, and add some money back into the depleted district reserves. The district will hold its public hearing on the budget on May 14 at 7 p.m. in the district office.