LAKELAND | A year ago, Polk County School District officials offered no raises, prepared for fewer students for the first time in a decade, told middle and high school teachers to teach an extra class a day and left dozens of positions unfilled.

School Board members are expected to approve another lean budget today in Bartow along with a property tax rate increase of 25 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value. A vote on the final budget will be in September.

The proposed general fund budget for 2009-10 is $697 million, $50 million less than the budget passed in July 2008. The total budget, which includes construction, is $1.4 billion.

Board member Tim Harris said the district has already made significant cuts.

"It's difficult to look at what else could be cut," Harris said.

Board members have initially approved raising the property tax rate by 25 cents for two years. The vote to approve the tax increase means the overall tax rate will be $7.58 per $1,000 next fiscal year compared to the current rate of $7.63 per $1,000.

Like other districts, Polk benefitted from the federal stimulus package. Officials say the federal money saved hundreds of jobs.

This fiscal year, the district will receive $30 million to shore up jobs that would have been lost because of a dismal state economy.

In addition, $20 million will be provided to the Title 1 aimed at disadvantaged students and IDEA, a program for disabled and special education students.

But beginning in 2011, most of the stimulus money will not be available.

"That's a real scare for us," said Mark Grey, assistant superintendent of business services. "What do we do in 2011?"

Meeting the 2002 elementary school class-size amendment to the state Constitution also looms.

Previously, the district had more flexibility by taking an average of the number students in each class. That way some classes could have been over the cap - 18 in kindergarten through third grade - as long as the school average equaled 18 or fewer students in each class.

In 2011, the district must meet the guidelines by class, not school average.

The district also faces the problem of another year with no raises for its approximately 13,000 employees, the largest work force in Polk County.

"That's hurting us," Grey said. "It's not getting less expensive to live."

Officials for the teachers' union, the Polk Education Association, have said they are more optimistic this year than last about negotiating a plan for raises.

At least enrollment has stabilized.

"We would have been hurting if we had a huge downturn (in enrollment)," said Gail McKinzie, superintendent of Polk County Schools.

Enrollment in the district has remained at about 92,500 students for the last two years.

Next year, district officials are predicting 91,581 students by the 60th day of school in October.

The October number is important because it is the basis for state funding. The district receives about $6,000 for each student.

Bruce Tonjes, associate superintendent of school-based operations, said enrollment in elementary schools increased at the end of the school year.

"We're somewhat optimistic there won't be a dramatic decrease," Tonjes said. "Flat doesn't hurt us. What hurts us is if we're dramatically under."

The years of 3 percent to 4 percent annual enrollment growth ended in the 2007-08 school year.

From 2003 to 2006, enrollment consistently increased by about 4,000 students. Ten new schools were built from 2003 to 2009.

From 2011 to 2013, district officials expect no new construction.

This year, the only new school to open is Spessard Holland Elementary off U.S. 98 between Highland City and Bartow, while next year, Davenport School of the Arts, a K-8 school, will open at a new location on County Road 547.

Most work in construction this year will be to spruce up schools and deal with any safety issues, said Fred Murphy, assistant superintendent of facilities.