School Budget Plan Hints 12-mill Vote

If Acting School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr.'s preliminary 1968-69 budget of $17,235,670 holds true, a 12-mill operating package will be submitted to school district voters in May or .Tune. The proposed budget was presented last night to the Board of Education. The millage package would include a 4VSs-mill renewal and 7% additional milis. The 7Vi-nüll proposal would mean a tax increase of about $7.50 per thousand of state equalized valuation. This means that the average Ann Arbor hcmeowner, whose house has a market valué of about $20,000, would face a tax increase of about $75 per year. All Ann Arbor homes will be assessed according to state equalized valuation by the spring of this year. j The 4I2-mill renewal would mean no tax increase over the 1967-68 tax bill. Westerman's budget esii- mate, which he repeatedlyl stressed was "preliminary"! and "subject to revisión," wasl figured according to currentl salary schedules, and includesJ no salary improvements, f o il teachers or other personnel.l The budget would also main-l tain present instructional pro-l grams only, and includes nol improvements. The $17 million-plus budget is an increase of about $1.7 million from the 1967-68 budget of $15,- 500,675. The 1968-69 income estímate, r including the 412-mill renewal, I Westerman said, is only $14,-1 1011781. This leaves a deficit I of $3,223,889, which will have to be raised by a millage election. This $3.2 million averages out 1 to the 7%-mfll increase,(excluding the 4%-mill renewal) Westerman foresees. Trustee Joseph R. Julin, thel hairman of the boards negotiating team for a new teachrs' contract, commented that hese figures, including the $3 million deficit, were the basis or the board's "no pay increase" proposal to the teachers last week. The Ann Arbor Teachers' Association negotiatïng team rejected this proposal, and salary talks are currently in recess. In detailing the $1.7 million estimated increase in expendi tures next year, Westerman ;aid that approximately i 300 would be allocated to new i professional s t a f f members largely to comply with the puDil-teacher ratio agreement in Jie teachers' contract); $324,530 for staff pay increments; $514,015 to open and opérate Hurón High; $222,572 to open and opérate Scarlett Junior High, and $50,998 to open and opérate Green-Glacier Elementary School; $17,880 to maintain pupil per capita allocations, anc $95,000 for other items, ing the Mring of a principalelect at Pioneer High School and transportation and other ïxed costs. Trustee William C. Godfrey said that staff recommendations for improvements are now needed in order to formúlate a final budget. The trustees said that t h e y will study the preliminary budget, and that further discus,sion on the budget will be held next week and in the weeks to come. _