The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education Monday night, approved the proposed 2014-2015 Certified Budget, which increases the amount of money the district receives from property taxes by 54-cents per thousand dollars assessed valuation over the published $14.47 per thousand. The levy is now $14.91 per thousand.

Prior to a vote on approving the budget, Atlantic Middle School Student Advocate Pam Russell asked the Board not to cut the student advocate position, because “There would be services that would not be met in a timely manner or on a consistent basis.”  She said the service impacts the students’ present and future, especially with regard to dropout prevention. Russell even offered to have her pay cut in order to save the position, in order to benefit  the students. She said she already knows of a case where a high school-aged student has dropped-out of school thinking they would get their GED instead.

During action on the budget, Superintendent Mike Amstein reiterated the fact that there are only three places in the budget the board really has an “wiggle room” with, as far as adjustments are concerned. One is the SBRC Cash Reserve, another is the Cash Reserve Levy, and the last is the Management Fund. Amstein said they’ve proposed $964,771 for the SBRC Cash Reserve Levy, $600,000 for the Cash Reserve levy dedicated to the General Fund and a $350,000 levy for the Management Fund, for a total levy of $14.91 per thousand dollars assessed property valuation.