The 2010-11 fiscal year budget once again topped the list of items on the agenda at the Linn-Mar school board's meeting on Monday night, March 8, as the district looks to reduce its budget by $770,000.

Superintendent Katie Mulholland presented current state-of-the district figures as well as her expenditure reduction plan for the coming budget year, which begins July 1. She explained that the district's goal is to trim $770,000 so the district can retain a five percent solvency ratio. The largest share of cuts will occur in salaries and benefits.

Mulholland indicates that attrition, restructuring into fewer positions and eliminating some current positions will account for approximately 80 percent of the total reduction amount, or $616,000. The priority in cutting positions will be among classified employees first, then certified ones.

Trimming the cost of supplies, materials, equipment and purchased services will account for the remaining 20 percent, or $154,000. Supply and materials budgets will be reduced anywhere between six to 10%, the use of purchased services will be minimized or eliminated where possible, and more bulk ordering will be initiated to reduce item costs.

The following expenditure savings will continue: previously frozen administrators' salaries, overtime restricted to safety/security needs, and minimizing the need for substitutes. Energy conservation practices will continue and be ramped up. Additionally, close scrutiny of finances will continue as well, such as having bond sales to save interest payments.

According to Mulholland, each school building in the district will be affected by the expenditure reductions. However, the reductions will be different and look different for each area.

Linn-Mar administrators have currently proposed a budget which has a tax rate of $19.74 per $1,000 of taxable value, according to Business Administrator Dave Nicholson. While this is a decrease from the current $20.24 rate, there will still be a small raise in property taxes due to a change in the state's rollback, which is based on the productivity of the state's agricultural land. The rollback had increased over last year, and Nicholson estimates that the increase will amount to around $5.50 in additional taxes for the owner of a $150,000 home.

Further tweaking and analysis of potential areas for reduction will continue right up to April 12, when Linn-Mar will hold a public hearing regarding its budget and property tax rate.

The final budget is due to the state by April 15.