Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District residents will see an average tax increase of 4.5 percent if they pass the Board of Education’s $52.2 million adopted budget in the May 20 vote.
Actual tax increases will not be known until August when the state releases tax equalization rates, according to Assistant Superintendent Jacqueline St. Onge.
Voters will also be asked to decide on a $450,000 bus proposition, which includes the purchase of five new buses to replace buses that are more than 10 years old.
The district plans to purchase four, 66-passenger buses and one, 28-passenger bus.
According to Christy Multer, director of public relations for the district, 73 percent of the cost of the buses is reimbursable.
The budget is an increase of $1,996,714 over last year’s $50.2 million budget, which is a 3.97 percent increase.
The largest portion of the adopted budget allots funds for staffing and rising gas prices.
Three quarters of the adopted budget accounts for staffing, according to Multer.
The school board spent an incredible amount of time this year working to match staffing with our enrollment and most urgent needs, said Superintendent Jim Schultz. `They had to make a number of tough decisions and ultimately came out with a net reduction of 2.8 full-time positions.`
The proposed budget adds 1.5 special education teachers and one teacher assistant position to fill state-mandated requirements for classes with handicapped children.
The staffing costs also account for the hiring of a new custodian to cut back on overtime and handle the additional classroom space.
A half-time kindergarten teacher will also be added to the payroll, based on higher kindergarten enrollment.
The board decided to cut one full-time teacher assistant position at each of the district’s five schools.
This cut will save the district more than $125,000 but will reduce some services to children.
Despite an increase in high school enrollment, the board also decided to cut one math, one English and one social studies teacher at the high school at a savings of $41,600.
Like other districts, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake is preparing to pay for the rising cost of gas.
St. Onge projected an increase of $322,250 in gas, electricity and diesel fuel for next year.
`These increases are painful even though we’ve been aggressive at finding ways to cut fuel consumption,` St. Onge said.
`The utilities increase would have been much greater had we not been able to lock in good electricity rates until 2010 and good natural gas rates until 2012 through the consortium.`
The district is a part of a consortium through BOCES that purchases gas and electricity directly from the producer.
St. Onge said the district is paying 15 to 20 percent less than schools that are not part of the consortium.
According to St. Onge’s projections, the district will save eight cents per therm of natural gas, or $40,000, in the 2008-09 school year.
Residents can vote on the budget and bus proposal at the high school gym Tuesday, May 20, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.“