SHERBURNE – The Sherburne-Earlville School District has completed its budget process for the 2008-09 school year, and while gas and utility costs have significantly increased over the course of the year, the district has managed to keep the budget and tax levy increase to a minimum.

The district is proposing a budget of $26,563,214 for the 2008-09 school year, an increase of $1,054,940 from 2007-08. The proposed budget would bring a tax levy increase of 3.95 percent, an amount very close to what the district has seen in the last several years.

According to Assistant Superintendent for Business Tom Strain, the increase in the budget was caused by several different factors, including the increased costs of fuel, regular health insurance, the retirement system and total salaries. Those four items alone caused cost increases of $1,069,448. “[The items] total more than the actual increase in the budget. Obviously some other items were reduced to accommodate the increases,” Strain said.