OXFORD – After nearly four months, the Oxford school board and administration have finished their part of the long, painful budget process. Now the final decision regarding the $17,228,700 budget rests in the hands of district taxpayers.

On Tuesday, the Oxford Academy and Central School District’s board of education approved the latest draft of the district’s proposed budget for the 2009-10 academic year.

“It was a balancing act,” said Superintendent Randy Squier, describing how school leaders did all they could to maintain programs and academic offerings in the school while at the same time keeping the economic concerns of the district’s taxpayers in mind.

The proposed budget represents an increase in spending of $93,637, or .55 percent, over last year’s budget. The impact on taxpayers will be an estimated increase in the tax levy of 2.5 percent.

Keeping the budget largely flat was not merely a matter of keeping spending on par with the current year. With continually rising health care costs and contractual obligations for staff salary increases, significant cuts were necessary.

“It’s not the way you want to have to do it,” Squier said, “but we understand the position the community is in.”

The most painful for the district are staffing cuts necessitated not just by the economic situation, but also the district’s declining enrollment.

Four current K-6 teaching positions will be cut, as well as the health teacher shared by the middle and high school. Two more positions, those of a middle school math teacher and the high school librarian, will be left vacant when those individuals retire at the end of the current school year. One Licensed Teaching Assistant vacated through attrition will also be abolished, and five current teacher’s aides will be reduced to part time.

Additionally, the district’s mail carrier position will be eliminated, and they will not hire summer help to aid in facility maintenance during the summer months, the superintendent explained.

At the same time, several positions will be added. They include two special education positions required to bring the district into compliance with State mandates, and an English position, currently vacant, which will be filled, Squier said. Three part-time teachers aides will also be hired.

The district administrator expressed regret over the need to cut any positions. “They are all very good people,” he said. “They’ll be sorely missed.”

Other budget cuts were necessary as well, including reducing the number of athletic teams offered. A total of five JV and modified sports teams will be eliminated, Squier explained, none of which had sufficient interest to be fielded in the current year such as JV boys basketball. As for which teams will be cut, the district will be flexible to a certain extent and see where interest lies before making a final decision.