The Brookhaven School District will suffer a decrease of almost$800,000 in its 2011-12 budget, but will cut costs to match thatnumber rather than request a local tax increase, officialssaid.

At a public hearing Tuesday, the city school district presenteda proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year that totals a littleover $27.8 million. That is a decrease of $793,015 from the 2010-11budget.

“The board is very adamant; we do not want to raise taxes,” saidSusan Quin, the school district’s business manager.

The city school district includes approximately 3,100 students.The school calculates that its per-pupil expenditure at $6,870 perstudent.

The budget will be voted on and, presumably, approved when thecity school district’s board of trustees meets next Tuesday fortheir regularly scheduled meeting.

The district receives its main sources of revenue from local,state and federal levels. Local sources contribute about $9.5million, state sources almost $13 million and federal sourcesaround $4 million.

The district anticipates a reduction of $345,390 in localfunding sources.

“The largest single loss of revenue is probably from the state,”said Carl Aycock, president of the board of trustees.

The reduction is largely due to a drop in funds from theMississippi Adequate Education Program.

According to Quin the largest cuts in the district’s spendingwill be that on equipment and supplies.

Staff salaries constitute the largest single expenditure, almost56 percent of total spending.

Quin said that this would be the first time in recent memorythat the school district’s budget has gone down.

“Usually budgets go up over time,” Quin said.

Administrators do anticipate some spending that must be paid forwith special funds. The district plans to replace two school busesthis year and undergo a major roof repair at Lipsey MiddleSchool.

The city school board must approve the transfer of interestmoney earned by 16th section land to cover these expenditures.Sixteenth section land is owned by the state of Mississippi butmanaged and leased out by local school boards as a revenuesource.

Johnny Perkins, the only member of the public present atTuesday’s hearing, expressed some concerns about the availabilityof budget numbers. According to Perkins, the school district didnot make a copy of the budget available before the publichearing.

“The taxpayer needs the information required to make an informeddecision,” Perkins said. “I think the budget should be available tothe public well in advance of the meeting so that they may make aninformed decision.”

Perkins also said that the budget should provide moredetails.

“The interest is not in general categories but specific budgetitems,” Perkins said.

According to Perkins, a publicly available budget that itemizesindividual expenditures is necessary.

Aycock thanked Perkins for attending the public hearing. He saidmembers of the public are welcome at any school board meeting,which includes next week when the board will vote on thebudget.