A meeting was called because

it was required by law, but no one showed up Tuesday to comment on the

Fayette County Board of Education's new millage rates during the first

of three required public hearings.

The millage is going down,

from 21.783 to 21.694, but reassessments could cause some people's taxes

to go up anyway, so public hearings are required by law concerning the

millage because it could constitute a tax increase for some residents.

But school system comptroller

Jim Stephens pointed out that the millage has dropped significantly in

recent years, as it was as high as 23.99 a few years ago. The millage

decrease has meant a drop in about $7 million in revenue to the school

system over a few years ago, he said.

This could mean some lean times

in the near future, as state revenues are going down as well, superintendent

John DeCotis said. DeCotis attended a meeting recently where state House

Speaker Tom Murphy mentioned the likely state decrease.

But the county has cut about

as much as it can, Stephens said.

The next public hearing concerning

the millage is scheduled for tomorrow at 6 p.m.

The school board convened Monday

in a special called meeting to approve construction issues, including

a state funding application totalling $6,450,876 to build Whitewater High

School. Also approved was a $99,201 change order for rock blasting on

the Crabapple Lane Elementary School construction project.

On another item on the Crabapple

Lane project, roof and brick selection, no action was taken by the board.

The matter will be brought up again at tomorrow's meeting.

An executive session was held

for an appeal of a student tribunal hearing decision as well as a personnel

matter. Those items are confidential, school system spokesperson Melinda

Berry-Dreisbach said, and no action was taken in public session after

the executive session concluded.

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