The Abilene Independent School District approved a few proposals at Monday evening's meeting.

The district approved a proposed tax rate of $1.1659 per $100 valuation. The rate is down from $1.1691 a year ago, but property values have increased, which will offset the reduction.

The $1.04 tax rate for maintenance and operations remains the same.

The changed portion of the rate comes from debt service payments.

"We're going to have to pay about $6.5 million in principal and interest," said executive director for business and finance, Keith Dowell. "We'll get some from the state -- a little over $2 million to pay that based on our enrollment."

The board accepted the suggested bid for renovation to Lee Elementary School. The bid, which was on the district's budget, came from Jeff Luther Construction at a base bid of $1.8 million. After all alternatives, which were also accepted, the total proposal came to $2,738,000. Joe Humphrey, construction coordinator for the district, said the Lee project will match the construction at Jackson Elementary except for the classroom addition.

Board President Stan Lambert said the bid is a sign of the stable local economy and is ready to move forward with plans.

"I'm really glad that we're gonna do all the alternates and do it exactly the way we did the Jackson campus," Lambert said. "I think we saw bids that were a lot closer and much more competitive and think really are a reflection of what's going on in the commercial construction business right now."

The board approved the proposed 2008-09 budget. The board briefly discussed the possible deficit of about $1.6 million in the budget. However, Dowell and board members made the points that entire budgets are never fully spent and more positions will be lost during the course of the year.

"Historically we have not spent every dollar out of every budget, so we also anticipate that we will have some unspent expenditures that will come back and reduce the amount of deficit by the end of the year," Lambert said. "If we can get our deficits under $1 million, then I feel that giving our teachers a raise, I think that was the prudent and right thing to do."

Lambert said that with the budget mostly out of the way, and after touring facilities with the rest of the board on Tuesday, his focus will turn now to career programs and facilities.

"It was really revealing to see the condition of some of our facilities, and it's not just the facilities -- it's the system and the function of classroom lab space," Lambert said.

The board will conduct an open workshop at 5:30 p.m. next Monday in the Crockett Room of the administration building to discuss a career and technology school, and district facilities.

The meeting is open to the public and will involve mostly discussion from the board. No action will be taken.