The Scotia-Glenville Board of Education announced Monday, Aug. 11, that the tax rate for district residents will be less than anticipated.
Superintendent Susan Swartz said that the school board adopted a 3.5 percent increase, which is slightly less than what was on the ballot during May’s budget vote.
The new rate will most directly affect Glenville residents, who had initially expected a 3.5 percent increase. Glenville residents will now pay $20.20 per $1,000 assessed value, or a 3.34 percent increase; Charlton residents will pay $25.60 per $1,000 assessed value, or a 0.47 percent increase; and Amsterdam residents stand at $171.74 per $1,000 assessed value, or a 2.2 percent decrease.
Communication director for the district Bob Hanlon said Glenville homeowners with a $160,000 assessment will see taxes rise by $104.40 next year before reductions from the state’s STAR school tax reduction program.
Superintendent Susan Swartz said that with every family facing economic challenges, the district is happy to report any sort of good news that reflects a financial benefit.
We feel the budget brings more opportunity and improvement for our school district and we appreciate the ongoing support we have from our district’s taxpayers, said Swartz.
The board also discussed the much-anticipated building proposal, which has been in the works for almost a year. Last month the board discussed the possibility of incorporating solar panels but has since dismissed the idea due to time constraints. Board President Margaret Smith has emphasized to the board that she feels the district’s parents and taxpayers are eager to get the proposal in motion.
`Our district wants to see the upgrades finally happening, to bring in a whole new idea at this point is a little too late,` said Smith.
The proposal will primarily upgrade the middle school and high school. The proposal also includes renovating science and technology classrooms and enclosing the open library at the middle school, renovating technology classrooms at the high school and renovating athletic fields or adding artificial turf.
In response to feedback it heard from school officials last month, the district is also likely to tackle expanding the high school library and improving the noisy heating and cooling system that makes it difficult to hear inside the building.“