Grove City-based Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV is proposing a general operating budget of $3,867,483 for 2003-04.

School boards of the 27 districts Unit IV serves in Mercer, Lawrence and Butler counties must approve the budget and their individual assessments.

The unit provides arts and education projects, an arts program for special needs students, publication services, educational planning, continuing education programs and other needs to the member districts.

The general operating budget is considerably lower than the current year's $4.4 million budget, because the Unit IV board did not budget money to provide services for the Midwestern Regional Virtual Charter School, said Bob Barber, director of business services for Unit IV.

Barber said Unit IV will provide any services the charter school requests and will then be reimbursed by the charter school.

Not budgeting money for the charter school will eliminate the possibility that someone will think Unit IV is subsidizing the charter school, Barber said.

The revenue to support the budget is derived from state subsidies, local school district contributions and other sources.

School districts will be asked to provide $649,135 for the budget -- an amount that has not increased since 1991-92, according to Unit IV figures. Each district is contributing the same amount as this year.

The estimated district contributions for local schools are:

   » Commodore Perry, $5,566

   » Farrell, $6,051

   » Greenville, $15,722

   » Grove City, $25,897

   » Hermitage, $37,016

   » Jamestown, $7,461

   » Mercer, $15,597

   » Reynolds, $12,320

   » Sharon, $14,251

   » Sharpsville, $10,702

   » West Middlesex, $12,109

   » Wilmington, $16,653

Unit IV does not expect an increase in state subsidy from this year's $251,698.

The state subsidy was also the same in 2001-02.