BEATRICE – The Beatrice Public School District might be facing a less adverse budget climate, this school year.
Two factors are responsible for that…an increase in property valuation with District 15 and a significant jump in state aid.
Superintendent Jason Alexander says total budget expenditures for the district, as certified by the Nebraska Department of Education, could reach about $29.5 million. "Beatrice Public Schools budget looks to increase right around...point oh-five percent, excluding the cash reserve. So, we're not looking at a tremendous expenditure increase", Alexander said.


District 15 is breaking a string of state aid losses in this budget year.


Alexander noted, "with an increase of seventeen-point-nine-percent in state aid....which is the first time in several years we've seen an increase in state aid...and a one-point-seven-six percent increase in valuations....that's almost a twenty percent increase in revenue, if we see it all. That's the key point".
Near the end of the current fiscal year, Alexander says not all tax collections requested have been paid. He says the level of unpaid taxes in the district generally ranges from eight to ten percent.


Alexander says public schools are no different than any other business when it comes to having to balance what you take in, and what goes out.
"As with any business, whether its farm fertilizer, a cow-calf operation or parts and manufacturing, our operating expenses go up, annually as well. The difference is, we're a people-based business. So, a lot of our operational expenses are directly reflected either to an already established expense...whether it be utilities or gas...or people".


Next month, the Beatrice School Board conducts the budget hearing and votes on approval of the district’s plan, for 2019-2020.


Early this year, officials say enrollment is stable with last year’s ending number, within 20-to-40 students. School officials say they have observed an influx of students in the past few weeks, primarily in the upper elementary and high school age level.