When Bow residents attend School District Meeting on March 13, they can expect to see a petitioned article for official ballot law, or SB-2, on the school district warrant.

According to Superintendent of Schools Dean Cascadden, this article will on the ballot in May and will not be voted on at the School District Meeting. There will also be a public hearing on this article prior to the May vote.

“I've worked in SB-2 districts previously, and I’m not taking a stand on it one way or the other,” said Cascadden.

“There are pluses and minuses to either one.” On the warrant is also a proposed operating budget of $24,408,702, down $800,858 from this year’s budget of $25,209,560.

Both figures include the yearly food services budget.

The tax impact would be a reduction of 48 cents per $1,000 assessed property value, or $96 on a $200,000 home.

According to Cascadden, the decrease in the budget is due to six staff cuts – two at the middle school and four at the high school. There are also a couple of unfilled support staff positions that were cut from the budget.

Cascadden said administrators were directed to come up with a zero or less-than-zero increase in the school budget this year. “We realize it’s time to reduce and come in as frugal as we can,” said Cascadden.

Residents will also have to vote on a one-year teachers’ contract for the 2009-10 school year.

Requested is $356,310 for raises for 153 teachers, guidance counselors, nurses, library staff and speech teachers.

The tax impact would be 29 cents per $1,000 assessed property value, or $58 on a $200,000 home. If this article is rejected, Article 5 requests one special meeting to address the teachers’ contract.

Also on the school district warrant are various articles asking for withdrawals from the Bow School District Capital Reserve Fund. The Bow School District Meeting takes place Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m., at Bow High School.