A proposed three-percent pay raise for Mineola school staff met with the approval of the school board Monday.

Business Manager William Bjork presented a budget with a $269,000 surplus, and the proposed raise would cost $268,000.

He said he is comfortable with a no-surplus budget since revenues are estimated conservatively.

Board members discussed all the unknowns school staff members have been facing in preparing to reopen school during the pandemic. One even called it “hazard pay.”

The board will hold a public hearing concerning the budget on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. after which the budget will be finalized, along with the property tax rate, which is proposed to drop about two and a half cents to $1.0437.

Even with the lower property tax rate, Bjork said the district will collect an additional $83,000 in tax revenues due to higher property values, which rose from $540 million to $564 million.

He said he did lower the expected property tax collections from 96% to 95% in anticipation that tax collections could be impacted by economic conditions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said there is an additional $971,000 in spending. It includes one new teaching position at each campus, an assistant principal at the primary school, a custodial position and a maintenance position.

With the increases, the proposed budget is $16.7 million.

Bjork said with state agencies already being asked to make five percent cuts, school districts could be facing cuts next year. School funding from the state for this year is secured as it is the second year of the biennial state budget.