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Oak Creek — In the midst of a recession, the South Routt School Board on Thursday approved step increases for eligible employees.

That and the addition of Education Fund Board dollars, which haven't been available to Soroco in the more than 15 years of Steamboat Springs' half-cent sales tax for education, highlighted the second draft of the proposed 2009-10 budget presented to board members by Superintendent Scott Mader.

Dina Murray, Soroco's business manager, said the $7.3 million budget didn't include a base salary increase for employees, something that hasn't happened for about a decade. The district will provide step increases.

The budget also includes $90,000 in Fund Board contributions that will allow the district to hire a curriculum consultant and implement various technology upgrades next school year.

For the first time, the Hayden and Soroco school districts were able to apply this year for Fund Board dollars after Steamboat voters overwhelmingly renewed the tax last November. The vote garnered 72 percent support from Steamboat residents to share the tax revenue with the other county school districts.

Unfortunately, Murray said, the new consultant and technology upgrades also will add about $90,000 in district expenses.

Next year's budget is about $2 million less than the budget for 2008-09, which included funding to complete the district's heat and energy improvement project and the new South Routt Early Learning Center.

Murray said the board would amend the budget in November when the final student count is determined. The budget will be adopted formally before it's submitted to the state Jan. 31, 2010.

In other action:

- Board members were presented a $10,000 grant by Routt County United Way. Murray said the grant is provided once a year. The school was given the award to expand its agriculture program to include horticulture. She said the district was working to solicit a match or additional funding from the local business community.

- Mader presented board members with the district's 2009-10 school year goals. They included improving student achievement in reading, writing, math and science; maintaining a standards-based and aligned curriculum, which will be published electronically by spring 2011; continue development of an instructional program for teachers to allow them to meet the needs of all students; improve student preparedness for college by increasing the number of advanced courses taken, increasing ACT composite scores and achieving a 95 percent graduation rate; and maintain student, family and community support by updating the district Web site weekly and implementing a mass communication system using voice and e-mail messaging.

Mader said the goals were part of the district's improvement plan that is due to the state in June.