LAKE LINDEN — Lake Linden-Hubbell Board of Education held its public hearing on next year’s school budget and adopted it Wednesday.

The total appropriated general funds will consist of $4,660,671. A reduction in student enrollment was a factor into the budget’s numbers with the activities fund suspected to remain similar to last year and the athletic funds to break even. Food service is suspected to break even but meals remaining free will be questionable depending on policies enacted by Michigan politicians elected in November. Though uncertain, the board anticipates the meals to remain free. The state’s budget is not passed until October, thus many numbers are for the most part speculative.

Parents at the meeting briefly restated their concerns from last week’s meeting on the quality of student life and teacher retention. More emphasis was placed on the low salaries for teachers by one of the parents, Travis Peterson. Peterson voiced his concern to the board citing the teacher’s salary increase offer from the board. He suggested that the 3.3% salary increase was insufficient and suggested at least a 4.5% increase.

“You haven’t been paying the teachers as much as you should have for about probably four or five years now,” Peterson said.

Another notable approval by the board was the hiring of a new teacher. Amanda Knight will fill the role of a middle/high school math teacher.

The next meeting for the Lake Linden-Hubbell School Board will be July 15 at the high school in room 102 at 5:30 p.m. A discussion on the potential of community forums to address the concerns raised by parents is expected to be had at this meeting.