Tuesday: North Thurston to hold hearing for 2012-13 budget

After several years of hefty cuts, North Thurston Public Schools may finally get some relief from the budgetary axe.

The North Thurston School Board is slated to vote Tuesday night on a proposed $127.4 million budget for the 2012-13 school year.

The administration’s recommended budget is about $3 million more than last school year, according to spokeswoman Courtney Schrieve. Officials are recommending that the board spend about $900,000 of the district’s reserves to stay in the black, she said.

The additional spending is for a number of reasons, including increases in employee health care costs, fuel, utilities and insurance, she said.

“Special education costs continue to go up and we added some staff in that area,” Schrieve said. “We’re trying to build in more support there.”

The district also added two “personal responsibility days” for teachers that were cut last year, and designated some additional money for emergencies, such as January’s ice storm, she said.

If you go: The North Thurston School Board will hold a public hearing at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday to take comments on the proposed 2012-13 budget. People who want to speak should be there by 7 p.m. For more information, call 360-412-4418 or go to www.nthurston.k12.wa.us.