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The school board approved a budget with a tax increase on Monday.
Property taxes in the Warren County School District will be going up by one-half-mill, from 55.3371 to 55.8371.
The district's expenditures are up about 8 percent. Enrollment is down almost 2 percent.
In May, the finance committee recommended Director of Business Services Jim Grosch to present a budget reflecting a half-mill tax increase to the board for consideration as the final budget.
The board is required to pass a final budget by the end of June. It held a special meeting Monday night following the regular meeting of the board's committees.
At the May committee meetings, Grosch said increasing the taxes by one-half-mill would keep up increases on the expenditure side.
The final budget includes $93,251,092 in expenditures and $90,481,207 in revenues. The shortfall would be covered by the district's fund balance.
The expenditures are $6,815,254 higher than the 2021-2022 budget's.
"The final budget is designed to serve an estimated enrollment of 3,875 students, which is a decrease of approximately 72 students or 1.8 percent from the 2021-2022 school year," according to the budget introduction.
Before the vote, Board Member Arthur Stewart explained that he would be voting against the proposal.
"I understand the wisdom of the tax increase, but I think that just as a matter of procedure, before we impose a tax increase, we should go through the procedure of the deducts that we usually go through," he said.
The board typically undergoes a procedure in which it examines spending members and administration would like to add, and areas that could be reduced or cut. The board collectively decided to forego that process this year.
The budget passed with six members voting in favor, Stewart and Cody Brown voting against, and Joe Colosimo absent.