The Manatee County School Board is expected to approve its 2010/2011 fiscal year budget at a public hearing at 5:45 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 9, at the School Board of Manatee County, 215 Manatee Ave. W.

School board members gave preliminary approval for an operating budget of about $625 million at their Aug. 2 meeting. The budget includes enacting a quarter-mill “critical needs” tax that is being allowed by the state legislature. The increase for this school year was offset by a quarter-mill decrease in millage for capital projects.

Superintendent Tim McGonegal has said the increase is needed to avoid cutting elective programs such as JROTC, music and other electives and that the district has trimmed its budget as much as it can without impacts to the classroom.

The school district this year faced a roughly $8.7 million budget reduction after trimming more than $44 million over the last two years. The millage increase approved Monday night is expected to generate about $6.4 million.

Tonight's meeting also will include the district's second public hearing on class-size reduction.

Contact Pam Eubanks at peubanks@yourobserver.com.

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