The Vicksburg Warren School District will operate on a record $73 million budget during the upcoming fiscal year starting Monday, up about $2.5 million from this year.

The Board of Trustees met Thursday to adopt the budget, which was presented last week during a public hearing.

The financial gain comes from an increased state allocation and more from local taxes – with no change in tax rates predicted.

The 2006 fiscal year budget calls for $73,269,287 in spending on $69,989,691 in projected revenue with $3.2 million coming from reserves or other sources.

&#8220We understand inflation, but we do what is best for the children, and we’re doing that at no extra cost to taxpayers,” said District 2 Trustee Zelmarine Murphy, the only trustee of the five – elected from supervisor districts – whose seat is up for decision on November ballots.

For this year, the district has been following a $70.8 million spending plan, which was also a record, on $68.2 million in projected revenue. When it was adopted, trustees also expected no increase in local taxes, but the Warren County Board of Supervisors, which sets the actual levy in September, raised the countywide assessment for schools by 0.55 mill to meet, as required, the schools’ request. For the owner of a $100,000 home, that translated to about $5 more in school taxes per year.

Information presented to the board and about 20 members of the faculty, staff and community who attended the public hearing last week showed 74.35 percent of the budget going to employee salaries and benefits.

This was the last of a five-year state plan to raise teacher pay by 30 percent. The district also increased its local supplement during that period. For the new year, tenure-based increases will be awarded, but no overall raises are planned.

The district receives 50.1 percent of its funding from the state government, 34.6 percent from local sources, 13.9 percent from the federal government and 1.4 percent from 16th Section land, said Dale McClung, financial planner for the district.

The local sources include property taxes on real estate and personal property, including vehicles and a 10 percent share of a 3.2 percent local tax on casino revenue.