The Weare School Board will take its new 2008- 09 operating budget to task at the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, June 17, and members want the public’s input on how they should spend the money.

The decision now is not how much money to restore, but what to do with a budget that is half-way between what was initially proposed and the default budget.

About 23 percent of registered Weare voters cast their vote in a special election for a revised proposed budget on Tuesday, June 3.

The Weare School District’s operating budget for 2008-09 will now be $12,703,776, representing a tax rate increase of 52 cents per $1,000 of assessed value from last year. For a home assessed at $250,000, that’s a tax bill increase of $130.

In a 806-731 vote, the initial $12.9 million budget the School Board proposed for 2008-09 was voted down at the polls in March.

School officials said remaining on the $12,463,776 default budget would have imposed several cuts in staff, including the sole world languages teacher at the middle school and the art teacher at Center Woods.

Both of those positions will likely still be considered in cuts for the coming year, even with the passage of the $12.7 million budget.

The default would also have forced cuts in maintenance night and weekend coverage and eliminated two buses.

The School Board added $240,000 to the default to bring it to $12,703,776 million in the new proposal, which restores the equivalent in funds of two teaching positions, night and weekend custodian coverage and one bus to the budget.

School Board member Paul Levandowski said the board welcomes the public’s input on what, specifically, should be restored to the budget.

“We’ll be able to get back half of what we wanted,” said Levandowski immediately following the vote. “I was very impressed with the voter turnout.”

Levandowski said most of the community input that has come through to the board indicates that Weare residents would like to see the world language and art programs restored to the budget, something the board is taking very seriously, he said.

“We’ll continue to move forward. We have to talk now on how to build the budget,” he said.

School Board Chairman Matt Thomas said the School Board will do whatever it takes to maximize the new funds the voters approved, and thanked the 1,343 Weare residents who cast their vote for a second time on the school budget.

“We now have half a budget, and we will do everything we can,” said Thomas.

The Tuesday, June 17, meeting will take place at Center Woods Elementary School in the music room.