The Alvord school board met Monday evening and gave final approval to the district’s 2012-13 budget and tax rate.

With enrollment basically flat, this year’s budget shows increases in instructional resources and media services and plant maintenance and operations. Expenses are down in guidance and counseling, health services and administration.

Overall, the budget is up only $38,000 compared to last year’s budget – an increase of just over one-half of 1 percent.

This year’s general operating budget is $6,285,672. Another $812,621 is budgeted for debt service, and $388,180 is budgeted for food service, for a total budget of $7,486,473.

The tax rate stays the same as the past five years at the state maximum of $1.17 for maintenance and operations. With another 19.4 cents for debt service, the total tax rate is $1.364 per $100 valuation.

At that rate, the school taxes on a $100,000 home would be $1,364 a year, or just under $114 a month.

At Monday’s meeting, the board also agreed to join the Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition lawsuit against the Texas Commissioner of Education, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Texas State Board of Education.

The lawsuit claims the Texas public school finance system is unconstitutional.

Original plaintiffs were Hillsboro ISD, Hutto ISD, Nacogdoches ISD, Pflugerville ISD, San Antonio ISD, Taylor ISD and Van ISD. Since the suit was filed last October, another 400 or so districts have joined the lawsuit.

Alvord ISD is not required to pay any of the costs of litigation, Superintendent Bill Branum said.

The board also approved a resolution recognizing the 4-H program as a school-sanctioned extracurricular activity.