The Bedford School Board voted to approve a preliminary budget for 2007-08 that includes bonding high school furniture, first-year equipment and stadium bleachers.

In addition, a baseball field would be paid for with surplus from the current budget.

On Monday, Dec. 18, the board voted 4-1 to approve the preliminary budget, with member Terry Wolf against the plan.

The preliminary operating budget has a bottom line of $53.5 million and a projected tax impact of about $2.46 per $1,000 assessed property value.

This does not include $2.5 million in necessary startup costs that taxpayers will be asked to bond, said Chief Financial Officer Mark Conrad.

The projected total school tax rate is $14.87 per $1,000 assessed property value, Conrad said.

For a $300,000 home, annual property taxes on the local school side would be $4,461.

Much of the discussion about four budget options, proposed by school administrators on Dec. 11, was on whether the school could wait for a baseball field.

Board member Steve Beals said it is important that the field be built as soon as possible, because, unlike the stadium bleachers, it would directly affect the athletes.

“Yes, if it was a perfect world, we’d bond it,” Beals said. “If this wasn’t about students, I wouldn’t have a problem putting this on a bond.”

If surplus from the current budget is used, construction could begin in early spring instead of July, said Conrad. Vice Chairman Sue Thomas agreed it should be built as soon as possible.

“The kids need the field more than I need the bleachers,” she said.

Wolf said the tax impact would be lower if the baseball field was bonded.

“It is a 14-cent difference in the tax rate if we bond the baseball field,” she said. “But, I understand the logic of why we would do it.”

Conrad said the 360-foot field will also qualify for 30 percent state aid. Mayes said the estimated cost for the field and parking lot would be less than $500,000.

Chairman Cindy Chagnon said paying for furniture with 10-year bonds will decrease the tax impact for this year.

“It’s not going to be a dramatic impact on the tax rate for the next nine years, but it will certainly help this year,” she said.

Without the bond, the furniture would have a 99-cent increase on the tax rate this year. With the bond, it will be a 25- cent impact.

Much of the increase is from startup costs for the new high and middle schools. New costs for these schools account for an increase of $1.63 per $1,000 assessed property value. Professional staff, custodians and support staff benefits add another 23 cents.

The school board approved the second lowest tax increase Mayes had suggested.

The option with the most bonds -- for furniture, equipment, baseball field and bleachers - - would have lowered the proposed tax increase to $2.35 per $1,000 assessed property value. With this option, a $300,000 home would be taxed $4,428.

Mayes also cut about $119,000 -- about 3.5 cents per $1,000 assessed property value -- from his original proposal. Cuts included a barcode security system for library books, maintenance supplies and special education costs for students who are leaving the district.

The board approved the cuts, except for the removal a second school resource officer from the budget. They voted 5-0 to keep that cost in the budget. Mayes said having one school resource officer would be tough next year.

“The role that person would play in our district would be reduced, because it would be one person and six buildings,” Mayes said.

Beals said the officer’s presence at schools was good for students.

“I think that’s a critical age when the school resource officer meets with these students. I don’t want that to leave the district,” he said.

Because of restructuring lower grades, the school resource officer wouldn’t be at those schools. The DARE program runs in the fifth grade, which will be at McKelvie Intermediate School next year.