The Northport Board of Education approved its 2008-09 budget Monday night, with a few changes from the proposal it reviewed last month.

The biggest change came for the district's after-school program. Business manager Karen Hammersley said program coordinator Barbara McCann secured $119,000 in funding through the federal 21st Century grant program. Hammersley said all of the funds will be used for the after-school program, which provides activities and tutoring for students in all grades.

When the school board reviewed the proposed 2008-09 budget in May, school officials weren’t sure if Northport would receive any funds from the 21st Century program for the next school year.

Hammersley, McCann and Superintendent Tyrus Wessell developed an alternative plan to ask the Grand Traverse Band’s parent advisory group if it would allow Northport to use any funds received from the tribe’s “2 percent” gaming fund revenue grant for the after-school program.

Hammersley said in 2007-08, Northport received $33,000 – all of which was used for an after-school program for students who are tribal members. With the 21st Century grant funds now in place for 2008-09, Hammersley said the school will leave the “2 percent” funds for their original use if they’re approved by the Grand Traverse Band.

The board approved a three-fund budget that forecasts $3,681,846 in revenues and $3,652,677 in expenditures. If the figures hold true, the district would add $29,169 to its fund balance, which Hammersley estimated will be $1,046,537 as of June 30. She anticipates using about $172,000 to balance the books for the 2007-08 school year, so that balance may drop to around $874,000 when the annual audit on the school’s finance records is done in July.

Other major changes in the general fund come under expenditures for transportation, food service and the percentage by which the salaries for administration staff will go up.

The board originally budgeted $34,800 for gas, oil and grease purchases for the transportation department. Monday night, it was increased by 44 percent to $50,000. “With the way fuel costs are going up, the board members thought more should be set aside for this expense,” Hammersley said. The board increased a transfer of funds from the general fund to the school lunch fund by 5.2 percent, from $57,000 to $60,000, for the same reason.

The proposed budget included salary increases of 4 percent for the administrative staff, which includes executive administration secretary Ellen Gibson, business manager Karen Hammersley and bus supervisor Richard Deering. The board reduced the salary boost to 3 percent, the same pay increase given to superintendent Tyrus Wessell. Gibson’s salary will go from $34,047 to $35,068; Hammersley’s increases from $54,547 to $56,183; and Deering’s salary is set to go from $5,489 to $5,653. Deering also receives a portion of the $45,904 the district has set aside for its six bus drivers and one bus aide. Wessell’s salary will go from $103,023 to $106,114

General fund expenditures will decrease 1.8 percent from $3,515290 to $3,452,381. A majority of general fund revenues are generated by a 13.39 mills tax levied on non-homestead properties in the Northport School district. The non-homestead tax is expected to generate $2,955,216 for 2008-09, up 5.6 percent from $2,798,752.

The athletic fund calls for $80,732 in revenues and expenditures for 2008-09, the same as the amended 2007-08 budget. The proposed school lunch fund projects $122,564 in revenues and expenditures, up 3.2 percent from $118,764.