Rising energy costs and a lack of reimbursement from the state for special education are among the reasons Quaker Valley school officials are tightening next year's budget.

In the $36 million proposed final budget for 2008-09, Superintendent Joseph Clapper said the district will spend $435,000 on energy, up $90,000 from the current year's budget.

"Electricity and fuel costs have hit us hard," said Clapper, who will present the budget at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the middle school auditorium. The $90,000 increase represents a 20.7 percent increase alone over last year's budget.

Quaker Valley allocated nearly 12 percent of the proposed budget -- up nearly $250,000 from the 2007-08 budget -- for special education needs including tuition to specialized schools.

Quaker Valley's state subsidy for special education increased nearly $15,000 -- up to $791,000 in the proposed budget.

The miniscule increase frustrates Clapper who believes public schools such as Quaker Valley should be awarded additional money to offset the rising cost of special education.

"When we have children move into the school district with special needs, children who may not even go to school at Quaker Valley, we need to put them in other places based on their needs," Clapper said.

As part of the budget, homeowners could see about a half-mill increase. For homes assessed at $100,000, homeowners will pay an additional $48.40 a year.

But John Sheline, director of financial services, said the district plans to lower the millage increase.

Sheline said homeowners who were approved for the homestead/farmstead state exemption will pay lower taxes compared to last year.

"Homeowners who filed a homestead exemption will get the reduction of their assessed value on their tax bill," he said in an e-mail.

"Based on the .484 mill increase, 80 to 90 [percent] of the homestead taxpayers will receive a reduction of tax or a zero increase."

In recent teacher and administration contracts, Clapper said school officials were able to decrease health care costs.

"Health care should have gone up 7.5 percent this year," Clapper said.

"But we have had increased employee contributions, which result in a 4 percent increase. We're pretty proud of that."

He commends the teachers union and administrators for doubling their contribution rate. "We've done a good job reigning in our expenditures," he said. "The economy isn't real great right now and we're aware of that. Special education and energy costs are out of our control. "But what is within our control, we've managed to bring those expenditures in well below the rate of inflation."