The Niskayuna school tax rate may increase by 3.48 percent based on the proposed budget adopted by the school board at the Monday, March 24, meeting.
This proposed budget for 2008-09 is the lowest spending increase and estimated tax increase in the last five years, said Kevin Baughman, superintendent of schools. `We are cognizant and respectful of the challenges that everyone is facing given current economic conditions.`
The estimated tax rate is tentative due to a townwide reassessment of all properties and state aid numbers, which are not yet firm.
The board has scheduled a public hearing on the budget for May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Van Antwerp middle school auditorium. The vote on the budget is scheduled for May 20 at the Niskayuna High School.
The total spending on the budget is $70.1 million, an increase of $6.85 million from last year’s budget. Of this total, approximately $4.4 million is for costs associated with the district’s $94.5 million construction project that was approved by voters in 2006. These costs will be offset entirely in the 2008-09 budget by a combination of state aid and the elimination of other debt, resulting in no impact on local taxes.
The remaining increase in proposed spending is $2.45 million, which results in the estimated tax increase of 3.48 percent. This increase is attributed to rising costs of contractual salaries and benefits, utilities, fuel and special education.
Highlights of changes in the proposed spending plan are an increase in staffing levels, including added teaching positions in the elementary schools due to an enrollment increase of 30 students; a health teacher to focus on alcohol and substance abuse prevention in the fifth through ninth grades; added staff in counseling, an assistant middle school principal to assist in both middle schools and a director of English Language Arts. There will also be additional hours for existing technology staff at the high school to continue the Project Lead the Way pre-engineering curriculum. In 2008-09 the district will introduce Digital Electronics, a fourth course, to the project.
On the May 20 ballot there will also be a proposition to fund the purchase of nine new school buses (four full size and five smaller buses). This proposition does not affect the projected tax rate because it will be 63 percent funded with state aid, and the remainder will be from the district’s fund balance.
Two seats on the board of education are also up for election on May 20. Terry Weiner and Deborah Oriola, who currently hold these seats, are both seeking re-election. Residents interested in running for the school board may pick up nominating petitions at the district office in the Van Antwerp middle school. The two candidates receiving the most votes will serve three-year terms beginning July 1.
In other business at the Monday meeting, the board discussed the school policy on fund raisers in the school and during school hours. There has been an increase in fundraising activities in recent years, and as a result, Niskayuna school officials are planning to scrutinize their policies. The school board wants to ensure that fundraising conforms to state regulation and students aren’t being coerced into giving.
School officials circulated a draft policy relating to fundraisers to board members this month. Provisions of the policy include scheduling and approval requirements. Each school principal would be given the authority to ensure that such activities don’t negatively impact learning.
Board member Bob Winchester noted that fundraisers related to the junior prom involves students working together.
`There’s a lot of learning and connecting that goes on,` he said. `I don’t want to see that destroyed.`
One of the next steps in the policy review will be to discuss the policy with the parent-teacher organizations to get their perspective.“