A final vote on the proposed budget for Wichita Public Schools has been scheduled for Aug. 22. Members of the local school board looked over the budget at a meeting on Monday night.
The plan, which totals nearly $662 million, cuts certain expenses by about $22 million to account for the increased costs for healthcare, transportation and utilities.
Board members approved the changes in May following months of deliberations. The budget eliminates more than 100 positions in the district, changes transportation routes for thousands of students and has resulted in the consolidation of the district's two alternative high schools to one location.
If the plan is approved, the mill levy for USD 259 will decrease by about 2.6 mills – that's roughly $30 a year for the average homeowner.
Wichita Public Schools is expecting to receive close to $23 million in increased state aid. Plus, contingent on the sale of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, the district is expected to get about $686,000 in extraordinary needs funds to help support and educate the increasing number of refugee students in Wichita's public school system.
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