By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star

The Niles Community Schools Board of Education passed a budget amendment Monday night “with great concern” following a 15-minute video that outlined the challenges districts across the state have faced regarding state funding.

The amendment showed a decrease in revenues of more than $2.4 million compared to the actual budget for the 2008-2009 school year.

Superintendent Doug Law and Dana Daniels, president of the board, said last week the district planned to absorb the decrease by use of the general fund balance, turning their focus on how to cope in the coming school year.

The amendment includes a $127 cut in funding per-student scheduled to hit school districts in the state later this month – only to be put on hold by Gov. Granholm last week.

Law said the figures included that amount considering the cut could come back to haunt districts as early as next month.

Expenditures were up for the district as well, more than $790,084 from the 2008-2009 school year and up $494,241 from what was originally budgeted for the current year.

The board voted unanimously to pass the amendment.