NORWICH – With another budget year on the horizon, school officials at the Norwich City School District have released the final preliminary figures for the 2013-2014 budget.

“The message we are sending this year is that we are maintaining staff and programs and, at this time, we are fortunate to have even added some new, small programs,” said NCSD Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan.

Despite ongoing and uncontrollable challenges that have impacted the district in recent years - challenges like rising costs of pension, employee health care and benefits, special education, and utilities and fuel - the proposed budget aims to maintain core instruction, he pointed out.

The proposed budget calls for 2.5 percent property tax increase, which accounts for 27 percent of the district’s total revenue for the coming year. School officials anticipate another 65 percent of the district’s revenue to come from state aid.

Although the tax levy for the coming budget is slightly higher than previous years (district taxes over the past five years average 1.02 percent), NCSD is not facing similar massive layoffs and program cuts that are plagueing nearby districts, O’Sullivan reassured.