Brookfield School Board voted unanimously to reduce the size of a school levy they are putting on the spring primary ballot from 6 mills to 4 mills Wednesday.

"If we increased it, it might just give people a lot of opportunity to criticize," Superintendent Joseph S. White said of the board's decision to reduce the levy.

Voters rejected a 4-mill levy on Nov. 4 by nearly a 2 to 1 margin.

The school levy won't be the only local tax increase on the March 2 ballot, which will also feature a 2-mill police levy.

Even if the levy passes, cuts are inevitable and adjustments will have to be made to the 2004-05 budget, school district treasurer Michele Orahood said.

"This will give voters another opportunity to look at our financial situation and the troubles that we have," Ms. Orahood said.

Several factors have contributed to the district's current financial troubles: