Another joint city county Board of Education meeting is planned this week in Washington County. Voters will decide on a sales tax referendum August second and city and county boards of education are hoping for local rates to go up. An increase from 2.5 percent to 2.75 percent would be the maximum allowed by state law to fund local schools. The last sales tax hike in Washington County was approved back in May of 1994. The Sales tax revenue will go to replace lost federal grant money. 5-million dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and another 600-thousand dollars in other grants will end on June 30th. This weeks meeting will allow discussion on non mandated positions and programs that could be cut to reduce the schools budget deficit. Health insurance increases and more fuel and utility costs are other funding matters to be considered. Transportation, equipment and technology are all under the microscope. The estimated cost for regular instruction including teacher salaries, retirement, health insurance, substitutes, text books and everyday maintenance adds up to about 36-million dollars or over 52 percent of the entire budget which has increased by 1.3-million this year. (bg)