(SUNNY)-A half-million-dollar reduction in state aid creates challenges for a local school district when creating the budget for 2016-2017 school year.

The more than $11 million budget was approved for the Auburn School District at Monday’s meeting.

Superintendent Kevin Reiman told MSC news their number one goal was making up for the loss in state aid.

“We did not re-hire one teacher,” Reiman said. “We delayed the purchasing of laptops for teachers. Cuts or delays accounted between $300,000 and $350,000 for the loss.”

Reiman said they also increased the property tax levy to the maximum $1.05 per $100 of assessed valuation landing the total tax request at $6.4 million.

“The increase—while it did go up—it was fairly negligible,” he said.

Reiman said though the district’s assessed valuation jumped 2.7 percent—an increase in $16 million—the slash in state aid prompted the tax levy to rise.

Insurance was also renewed for the district at a cost of $130,000—up $2,000 from last year.

“The majority of that was because of increased values for building,” he said.

Reiman also said—due to federal regulations—adult lunch and breakfast prices were also increased.