There was some good news at the Seneca School Board meeting held Monday, Sept. 17. The district’s actual spending for the last school year (2012-13) was $173,000 less than the amount budgeted.

The lower costs were largely attributed to lower than expected costs in special education, which came in $150,000 lower than the amount budgeted.

That’s not all, the preliminary 2013-2014 budget of $3,881,202 in Fund 10 or general fund spending approved by the board is about $14,000 less than the 2012-13 general fund budget of $3,895,0000.

While the district must still finalize and approve the budget, as well as receive the final equalized property valuation figures from the state (expected on October 15), if the preliminary budget was applied the known equalized property valuation it would result in a mil rate of 11.48 up just slightly from the 11.46.

In other good news, the Seneca School Board learned the elementary and middle schools were again selected as Schools of Recognition by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction