Marion school board approves larger budget

MARION - The Marion Independent school board this week approved a 21 percent increase, from $32.2 million to $40.6 million, in the district's 2016-17 budget as it prepared to build a new Longfellow Elementary School.

The line item for facilities acquisition and construction was increased from $1.3 million to $8 million.

The board has scheduled a special meeting for May 9 in hopes of awarding a contract for the Longfellow project at a site between Eighth and 10th avenues and 29th and 31st streets in Marion. Construction should begin almost immediately, with completion in time for fall 2017.

The district's property tax rate will remain virtually unchanged next year at $18.53 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. Assuming no changes in a property's assessed valuation, changes in the amount of a property's value subject to taxation should make actual tax bills slightly lower for owners of residential and multi-residential property and slightly higher for owners of agricultural property.

There should be no change for owners of commercial property.

The budget was approved Wednesday.