Vinton-Shellsburg board approves levy increase

VINTON - The Vinton-Shellsburg school district is looking at levy increases and cuts as it prepares its fiscal 2011 budget.

Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock asked the board to provide some guidance as administrators prepared a preliminary budget recommendation.

The administration requested that the board approve a resolution to increase the instructional support program levy to its maximum of 10 percent.

Previously, the levy had been set at 7 percent.

The resolution was approved unanimously.

The administration also requested that they be allowed to include in the budget a levy for a cash reserve of between $500,000 and $1 million.

Board member Todd Wiley questioned the need for such a large cash reserve.

Hainstock explained the district has been left with a negative cash balance because of the state's budget cuts.

She added that Board President Pat Lyons said the district must make cuts in addition to increasing levies.

“Clearly, the district needs to do its part,” she said

“We are looking at about a 2-to-1 ratio. For every dollar we ask from the taxpayers, the school district is going to come up with two dollars of cuts to the budget.”

By Tom Lundvall

Correspondent