Voters approved an $88.6 million budget for the 2009-2010 school year on Tuesday, May 21, by a margin of 1,495-to-692.
The budget represents a 0.38 percent budget-to-budget spending increase over last year’s $88.2 million budget and an estimated 1.92 percent tax levy increase over last year’s $61.1 million levy.
The budget voting process was the first that Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Buhner was acting superintendent during.
It was my first one here, and obviously it was a challenging year, he said. `I think we worked hard to make the correct decisions for programming for the kids and district.`
The budget came with the following reductions and adjustments: a savings of $320,334 with the elimination of energy performance debt service; a $217,957 reduction in total debt service, including the savings of $600,000 that will come from unused capital project funds to reduce overall debt services; a $60,000 elimination of an administrative internship position; a $73,000 cut in teaching assistant positions; $225,000 in savings with the elimination of 10 temporary monitor positions throughout the district; $955,000 saved with the elimination of 17 teaching positions K-12; $30,000 saved through the elimination of an operations and maintenance vehicle; $10,000 saved with a reduction in interscholastic athletic expenses due to rule changes with the New York State High School Athletic Association, which decreases travel costs and expenses for officials; $30,000 in savings from the reduction of extra classroom assignments at the high school; a $10,000 reduction in summer part-time clerical support; a $350,000 reduction in the New York Teacher’s Retirement System rate/expense for 2009-2010; $275,000 reduced by limiting the use of the reserve fund to reduce costs of workers compensation insurance, tax certioraris and unemployment insurance; a $30,000 reduction of mid-day transportation expenses (this will come with the transition to full-day kindergarten in all five elementary buildings; a $50,000 savings with the elimination of one social worker position; a $39,000 reduction in energy costs at the high school after transitioning the library’s heat from electric to hot water; $11,400 saved with the elimination of Lisha Kill administrative aides; $30,000 saved with the elimination of one clerical position; a $60,500 reduction in instructional and transportation equipment; and an undetermined amount of money to be saved with the restricted use of air conditioning.
Buhner said the cuts in positions, are mostly being done through attrition and a hiring freeze, and the district predicted the need to do so early on in the budget process.
`We started freezing positions back in the fall, and we’ve done some layoffs,` Buhner said.
Buhner has also said that hopefully, after the district begins the school year with this budget and depending on stimulus money that could come to the district, the amount of which is still unknown, the district will be able to hire back the employees who will be laid off.
In addition to approving the budget, voters also approved newcomer David Kiehle to the school board with 849 votes. His competitors for the seat were George Penn, who walked away with 406 votes, and Theodore Thompson, who received 574 votes.
Kiehle was not available for comment, but during his campaign, he pledged to encourage students to be more goal-oriented.
Kiehle, 63, also has taught mathematics and computer science.
`We want to congratulate Mr. Kiehle. I know he has many years of experience in education, and we certainly welcome him as part of the district,` said Buhner.
Re-elected to the board was Board President Tim Ryan, who received 1,640 votes. Ryan is expected to keep his position as board president following a vote at the board’s re-organizational meeting in July.
Buhner said the current economy did not have much of an effect on voter turnout in the district.
`It was pretty similar to previous years,` said Buhner. `We [examine it] building by building and plus or minus, and it looks pretty consistent with previous years as far as numbers.`
Last year, the budget passed with 1,439 votes yes and 910 votes no.
`This year, it’s a little better percentage,` Buhner said.“