School board meeting moved to next Tuesday

There has been a change of dates for the monthly school board meeting in Whitehall.

The Whitehall Schools Board of Trustees meeting originally scheduled for September 6 has been rescheduled for September 13 at 7 p.m. The meeting will take place in the school library.

Late last month, the Trustees approved the 2016-17 fiscal year budgets for both the elementary and high school districts.

Whitehall Superintendent John Sullivan said the general fund budget for the elementary is $1,709,128.53, and $1,238,203.02 for the high school district. He said the budgets reduce taxes overall by 1.68 mills.

Sullivan said the elementary district would be operating at 87 percent of their maximum allowed budget, and the high school district would be operating at 90 percent.

Sullivan said anything under 100 percent means that voters have not approved or been asked to approve more funding.

Both numbers are significantly less than many area schools.

According to information taken from the Montana Office of Public Instruction website, in 2015 Jefferson High School, Bozeman Elementary, Sheridan High School, Ramsey Elementary, Butte Elementary, Ennis K-12 School, Sheridan Elementary, Clancy Elementary and Bozeman High School all operated at 100 percent of the maximum allowed budget. Manhattan School, Manhattan High School, Belgrade High School, Montana City Elementary and the Twin Bridges K-12 School all operated at 99 percent.

Sullivan said the district could raise the number by asking for more money from voters in the districts, but he thinks the districts are doing a good job where they are currently operating.

Voters in the high school district passed a levy for $60,000 on May 5, 2015.

Sullivan said the district was appreciative of the voters for passing the levy.