(ABC 6 News) — The Byron School District voted to approve a tax levy Monday night of $800 per student.

If passed in November, that tax levy would give the school district $1.9 million per year for the next 10 years.

It comes after the district faced a shortfall in the previous school year’s budget.

RELATED: Byron Public Schools faces a budget shortfall

That doesn’t mean all residents are on board, though.

“I don’t think we necessarily established our funds in a good place,” said Byron resident Duke Dieterle.

Despite that reality, the board and superintendent are confident the levy will pass this fall.

“We need to let the voters decide what’s important to them,” said Byron School Board member Matt Prigge. “Are we going to invest in the future of our students going forward in their education or are we gonna say that we gotta cut out a bunch of opportunities?”

The board’s projections show even if it cuts $2 million from the budget, with no levy, the district will fall further into debt.

“The fact of the matter is if it happened now or if it happened later, we’re still going to need to go out and get an operating referendum and this just made it be now,” said Superintendent Dr. Mike Neubeck.

“My house value has gone up every single year. This might be the cheapest opportunity we have,” said Byron School Board member Jeremy Aagard.

The average cost of a home in Byron is $350,000. Under the $800 per student plan, that would result in an estimated tax under the referendum of $497 in 2025 for a taxpayer with a home of that value.

With staff and student programs already on the chopping block, neighbors think there might be other, better solutions.

“If we’re looking at operating costs, why don’t we shut down the district headquarters over there?” asked Dieterle. “If we’re looking at cutting costs, trying to save a little bit before we raise taxes, I think that’s one of the best ways to do it.”

Despite Monday’s agreement, the levy isn’t officially finalized until the board’s work session on August 5.