By SUSAN RUMBLE

Special to The Press

The Parkland School Board has approved the $230,387,002 budget for the 2023-24 term.

The action, taken at the June 20 meeting, includes a 2.5 percent tax increase, which brings the rate of taxation up to 16.30 mills.

Board members Bob Bold, Rob Cohen, Carol Facchiano, David Hein, Jay Rohatgi, Lisa Roth and Marisa Ziegler voted in favor of the document.

Patrick Foose voted against it.

“Yet again we’re raising taxes,” Foose said. “When will we stand up for our constituents?”

Annette Wilcox was absent but sent a note indicating she would support the budget, if she were present.

Bold expressed his thoughts on the matter.

“I fully support this budget,” Bold said. “We have inflation. We’re paying more for everything.”

Rob Cohen supplied remarks on the subject.

“I am proud to have participated in the year long process of creating our budget,” Cohen said. “This is a collaboration between the board, the administration, teachers, support staff and all of us within our community.

“Our scholars, athletes, and artists will have the best teachers, coaches, advisors and mentors to lead them in obtaining the goals this community has come to expect.

“Our facilities are second to none. Maintenance, upkeep, and improvement are part of this district’s DNA.”

He highlighted major elements of the budget.

“Our 2023-24 budget process has prioritized safety, followed by educational programs, future capital planning, and continued responsible fiscal planning,” Cohen said. “This budget reflects what an excellent school district needs to do to continually improve, striving for excellence in every single thing we do.”

The budget represents a 6.5 percent increase in expenditures over the previous term but only a 2.9 percent increase in revenues, leaving a shortfall of $13 million before the tax increase.

To minimize the tax increase, the budget includes an appropriation of $9.467,809 of fund balance and a one-time transfer of $5 million to the Capital Reserve Fund for various district needs.

The owner of a Parkland property assessed at the district average of $247,502 will have a tax increase of $98.38 with the 2023-24 budget.