Ekalaka Public Schools adopts FY 2019 budgets

The Ekalaka Public Schools Board of Trustees approved the FY 2019 Budgets for both the Carter County High School and the Ekalaka Elementary School.

Mills went from 22.75 in the FY 2018 Elementary District budget to 21.59 in FY 2019 budget. In the High School District mills dropped from 12.80 for FY 2018 to 12.17 in FY 2019. Mill values are based upon taxable valuation. We are blessed in every sense of the word in Carter County in having a high taxable evaluation; more so in the CCHS District at $52,244,099, compared to that Ekalaka Elementary School District at $23,512,972. However, with that having been said, it should be noted that having a high taxable value does nothing to grow our budget in the face of rising costs such as salaries, benefits, utilities and other goods and services that go into providing a top notch education for our students.

Permissive levies in the Adult Education fund were lowered by $5,000 per district from $20,000 to $15,000. Much of this decrease is due to having outfitted the Ekalaka Fitness Center with equipment and a walking track while eliminating the need for an attendant with increased security measures. I am also happy to report that the general public usage of the facility has grown and so has the nominal fees associated with membership.

In closing, I am proud of the work that the administration and the Board of Trustees put forth in doing our level best for our school district. Our students and the team that supports them certainly deserve our best efforts in response to these tough financial times.