RIPLEY – The South Tippah School Board unanimously passed the district’s Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget during a special meeting Monday night.

The new budget is for $21,179, 526.41. The total ad valorem tax request – the amount of local funds needed to fund the budget – is $3,036,710.

The new budget apparently means district taxpayers’ millage rates will rise.

Efforts to reach county officials to determine how much tax millage will rise to fund the tax request were not successful Tuesday morning.

By law, supervisors are required to raise for schools whatever dollar amount they require.

The tax request figure of $3,036,710 represents an increase of about $400,000 over last year’s budget. The increase would be raised locally and would comprise about 14 percent of total spending.

Local property taxes are based on a percentage of the value of someone’s motor vehicle or land called a “mil.” Last year, South Tippah received 40.12 mills. Supervisors have said previously they would have to levy at least 46.7 mils to generate South Tippah’s $3,036,710 request.

The FY 2009-2010 budget was $21,871,457 to run the schools, with most of the funding coming from state and federal sources.

The new budget took effect July 1.