(Columbus) Voters in the Columbus School District adopted the tax levy for the current school year at their budget hearing and annual meeting Monday night. Business Administrator Janel DeZarn-Vertz (pictured) says the preliminary budget was built with an increase in per pupil aid by $200 for a total of $450-per-student and a three-percent increase in equalized property value. The budget presented last night also included a conservative increase in full-time students however, DeZarn-Vertz says that third Friday enrollment numbers decreased which will be reflected in the final budget adopted in two weeks. Total expenditures for this current school year are projected at $15.4-million dollars up from $14.1 last year. Budgeted revenues total $15.6-million dollars compared to last year’s $14.4-million. The preliminary tax levy adopted last night totals $6.98-million dollars, an increase of 1.21-percent from last year. The preliminary mill rate is $9.29-per-thousand-dollars of assessed value, which at this point is 17-cents lower than last year’s mill rate but is expected to change as numbers are finalized.