The Fayette County Board of Education got its first glimpse Monday night of next year’s proposed $173.7 million budget.

The budget is nearly 6 percent larger than last year’s $164.2 million budget and has the spending almost split between state and local sources. More than $88 million will come from ad valorem taxes, while $87.5 million comes to the system from state funds.

School spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach said the system is anticipating rolling the millage rate back, but said preliminary discussions are not favorable to lowering the rate all the way back to account for increased assessments.

“I think the board is still trying to look at ways to see if that can be accomplished,” she said.

The biggest expenditure in this year’s budget is salaries, which is $117 million and 3 percent higher than last year’s figures.

The school board has to approve the final budget by the end of June.

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