The San Marcos CISD board of trustees on Monday approved the fiscal year 2017-18 budget of $73.8 million with a nearly $2 million deficit. Assistant Superintendent Karen Griffith said about 80 percent of the school district's expenditures are salaries and benefits. For this fiscal year, trustees voted to spend $59.2 million on salaries, nearly $4 million more than last year. In June the board approved a pay raise for hourly employees, including school bus drivers, crossing guards and clerical professionals. The new minimum wage for hourly manual trade professionals—including custodians and bus drivers—is $10.60 per hour. The new minimum wage for clerical professionals—including instructional assistants and registrars—is $10.80 per hour. Griffith said the $1.98 million deficit will be covered by the district's fund balance, or savings account, with $32.5 million now remaining. Any money not spent by June 30 will be placed in the fund balance. This year the budget will run until June 30, 2018, instead of Aug. 31, 2018. Griffith said this was done so that spending of the FY 2018-19 budget can begin earlier in the year, starting on July 1, 2018. Trustees also voted to approve the 2017 tax rate of $1.41 per $100 valuation, which will provide almost $66.4 million to fund the school district's maintenance and operations as well as pay the principal and interest on the district's debt. The tax rate remains unchanged from last year.