|
Community to weigh 2010-11 budget
Canajoharie Central School District residents will
vote May 18 on a proposed $18,894,140 budget for the 2010-11 school
year.
This is a difficult year to develop a budget. New
York State’s fiscal problems have seriously impacted school
districts such as Canajoharie which are heavily dependent on the
State for revenue. Regardless of the State’s fiscal woes, the Board
of Education is committed to presenting a budget to district
residents that does not ask them to shoulder the entire burden
caused by the loss of revenue. In addition, the proposed budget must
favorably position the district to address yet further cuts in
school aid when federal stimulus monies expire in 2011-12. The
proposed budget outlined in this newsletter does just that while
preserving the foundation of our educational programs.
The proposed budget is an increase of .48 percent
over the 2009-10 budget. The impact on the tax levy is hard to
predict at this time because we do not know if the state legislature
will restore any of the $428,651 in aid cuts, nor will we know how
much fund balance we will have at the end of the fiscal year to
apply against taxes. We can say this with confidence. The tax levy
will not increase by more than 4.0 percent. Hopefully, it will be
less. The district will leave no stone unturned in searching for
savings and efficiencies while maintaining the best programs for our
children.
Questions and Answers
How is the school district doing in the
recession?
Three years ago, our district faced a $651,000
deficit. At that time, we embarked on a course to return to fiscal
security. Over the next two years, that deficit fell to $312,000,
then to $80,000. This year, we expect to have a fund balance.
The cuts we made, the taxes you paid, and the policies we followed
now leave us in a better position to address the problems that
currently face all school districts.
Are there staff reductions in the proposed
budget?
Slightly less than three positions are eliminated in
the budget. Reorganizing staff and shuffling responsibilities
results in one middle school teacher being laid off.
One elementary teaching position has been
eliminated. As a consequence, next year’s third grade will have
three sections instead of four.
A half-time BOCES Home & Careers position in the
middle school will be eliminated. That class will be taught by
current staff.
A half-time remedial education position in the
elementary school will be eliminated. Again, existing staff will
fill the role.
A one-day-per-week BOCES guidance counselor in the
high school will be eliminated. Staff from Catholic Charities will
provide some of those services.
These changes do not reflect the possibility of teacher retirements.
Should the retirements come in the appropriate areas, these cuts
would not result in people losing their jobs.
What other cost-saving measures have been taken?
Canajoharie contracted with the central business
office at ONC BOCES to handle routine business functions such as
payroll, bills, and bookkeeping. This consolidation of services
saves the district about $150,000 each year.
The district continues leasing buses instead of
purchasing them. This will save $200,000 over the next five years.
Canajoharie buys energy, supplies, and services
jointly with other school districts and municipalities to secure
better pricing.
Our schools reduced field trips and froze all
unnecessary spending.
The district is exploring every opportunity to save
money and reduce expenses.
How will the proposed budget impact taxes?
The proposed budget will increase the overall tax
levy by no more than 4.0 percent. Property tax rates will vary among
the eight townships in the district based on assessments and
equalization rates.
Does this mean my taxes will go up four percent?
Not necessarily. Many things will impact our tax
levy making it hard to project a definite figure. Accordingly, we
project “no more than four percent” as the worst-case scenario with
hopes that the increase will be less. At this point, the legislature
is considering returning some of the state aid that was cut in the
governor’s proposed budget. As the end of the fiscal year
approaches, we will have a clearer picture of our fund balance. In
addition we have new properties that will begin paying a full share
of property taxes. Funds from any of these sources could lessen the
tax burden.
If the cost of living is not rising, why are
taxes increasing at all?
If we had received the same amount of State aid as
we did in the past, we would not have to raise taxes. But, we lost
aid and certain expenses rose despite the economy. On their own,
these increases would result in a significantly higher budget if not
offset by steps to reduce staff and expenses.
What happened to the federal stimulus money?
We received our federal stimulus money as promised
in 2009-10. Unfortunately, the state’s fiscal problems forced it to
use a portion of the 2010-11 fiscal funds to avoid making mid-year
cuts to our promised aid. As a result, there is less federal money
available for 2010-11.
What are we getting for our investment?
We continue to be an area leader. Our test scores
are among the top in the region. Our students are accepted into some
of the nation’s finest universities. Our school continues to be
recognized for its art, music, and athletic programs.
What happens in the future?
The future remains a challenge. We cannot expect any
increases in government funding. In fact, we anticipate operating
with less state aid than we received three years ago. Over the next
year, we will continue our efforts to contain costs, improve
efficiencies, and look for new ways to provide the quality of
education we have come to expect in Canajoharie. The road ahead is
uncertain and is likely to be rocky. With the same commitment and
support that helped us to this point, however, we will come out the
other side of this recession stronger and better prepared to tackle
our most important challenge—to prepare today’s children to become
tomorrow’s leaders.
View the district's budget documents
|
