The Gainesville Board of Education likely will adopt a tentative tax rate tonight, but the recommendation is not likely to include a roll-up.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. at the system’s central office, 830 Century Place.

According to Janet Allison, chief financial officer for Gainesville City Schools, the fiscal year 2013 budget was adopted at a millage rate of 7.39.

She said the final numbers were provided to the board over the weekend for its approval.

“I expect on Monday we should hear several options from the finance department and then have a healthy discussion over those options,” said Sammy Smith, board member.

“To the financing staff’s credit, we enjoy having options and it is strategic on our part to look at this fall’s millage and a projection for next fall’s millage.”

He said from the finance reports the board has seen, he expects a recommendation of 7.39 mils.

The maximum roll-up allowed, if the board so chooses, would be to 7.75.

“It will be up to the board to decide at what rate to set the millage for calendar year 2012 (and) fiscal year 2013,” said Allison in an email. “The information I provide them will be a basis for that decision.”

The board adopted the fiscal 2013 budget in June, but some tax digest numbers are not finalized until mid-August.
In June, the board set the budget at $68.4 million, using the 7.39 millage rate.

Under that budget, the system would use 10 furlough days, saving about $2 million in associated costs.

Board member David Syfan, during the June 18 meeting, said the time of asking teachers and staff to take the brunt of the financial burden should be over.

“From my viewpoint, we sort of balance the budget by teachers and other staff doing more, but being paid less,” Syfan said. “And they have, to their credit, come through for the community. But I just feel the community needs to recognize that, and at some point we just have to say the teachers have supported us, now we need to go in and support the teachers and do what’s right for our kids.”

A part of that support, Syfan said, could be millage increases, but that should come with some community education on what a roll-up would mean.

“I feel like if we take it to the community and educate them and let them know what’s happening, they’ll come back and support our school system and one of those ways may be, not a major millage increase, but a millage increase,” said Syfan in June.