Jefferson voters solidified the town’s $5,173,053 K-12 education budget for 2014-2015 by referendum June 10, 242 votes to 166.
The budget had received even stronger support from the public at the budget adoption meeting May 27.
The budget includes funds for one additional teaching position at Jefferson Village School, the restoration of “specials” – art, music, and physical education – from half-time to 80 percent of full time at JVS, $85,000 for the two-year lease-purchase of two new buses next year, and the appropriation of a $40,169 bus purchase reimbursement from the state to a bus purchase reserve account.
“I was very pleased with the results, very pleased the budget passed. Also I was very pleased with the showing in the number of the voters,” said AOS 93 Superintendent Steve Bailey. “That was a very strong representative showing by the residents of Jefferson, and that pleases me in terms of having the opinion shared that way.”
“Now the work can begin in the term of the plans within the budget. We can move forward with those plans, which is great,” he said.
The budget is a $235,656 or 4.77 percent increase over the current budget, representing a $140,325 or 4.4 percent increase to the amount needed to be raised by property taxes.
