The N. Colonie Board of Education gives district residents last minute info before vote
The North Colonie Central School District will have to access $4.9 million of its estimated $12.5 million fund balance it said at the last meeting and public forum on the $92.2 million 2011-12 district budget.
In a presentation done by Board of Education President Mary Nardollilo, she went through the entire budget one last time before district residents go to vote on Tuesday, May 17. The district had been proactive in its planning, Nardollilo said, by getting in front of the budget early and holding public meetings as soon as October.
This included a freeze on all nonessential spending, she said. `We also closed some buildings to realize some savings, and, as always, examining efficiencies when considering to fill or not to fill positions.`
Some of the savings that were achieved were saving $500 by reducing BANS to bonds for a lower interest rate, only spending $110,000 on maintenance costs and reducing administrative costs to 4 percent, which Nardollilo said, `is a very lean budget` for a district like N. Colonie.
Even with a significant reduction in spending on maintenance costs, Nardollilo assured those in attendance that there will be no effect on the children.
`I assure you that the health and safety of the children and any health and safety issues are being addressed,` she said. `You don’t have to be worried about that.`
The district was also able to help stave off reducing staff as 15 positions were eliminated through attrition. It is cutting 11 teaching positions and an administrative position, saving the district $1.2 million. This was based off of district wide declining enrollment.
The district also will realize an estimated savings of $750,000 after the Board of Education voted to close Maplewood Elementary school back in February. There was also a cut made to the amount of text books and library books being bought by the district from $406,450 to $195,587.
The district is also looking into a transition program for special education students where they will be able to work on the Siena College Campus. Nardollilo said this would be a benefit to those students as it would provide them a college experience. The district is also going to use a BOCES Substitute service, allowing it to pick from the same pool of teachers. This would be expanding on the same practice that began at the secondary level in 2009.
N. Colonie will also be hiring a director of media service from the BOCES Communications Service.
Through all of this, Nardollilo said the estimated tax rate is expected to be an increase of 2.97 percent, which is the second lowest increase in 11 years, according to Superintendent Joseph Corr.
Nardollilo said for those who are voting on the budget on May 17 will not be voting on the tax rate, but they will be voting on the expenditure budget.
She also said that to stabilize the tax levy and fill the budget gap, the district was forced to use $4.9 million from its $12.5 million fund balance. Bill Edwards, a parent in the district, noted that N. Colonie plans to use almost a third of its fund balance and wondered how the district will be able to cope with that in the next couple of years.
`That is a projected use of the fund balance,` Corr said. `The goal is not to realize the entire fund balance and the goal is not to use $4.9 million. Through wise spending patterns throughout the year, we hope to, in reality, maybe only use $2.5 million. But that’s what is allocated there to balance the budget.`
Assistant Superintendent for Business Thomas Rybaltowski said accessing the fund balance will provide some space for the district in balancing the budget in the coming years.
`We do have a cushion of 3 or 4 years to take action,` he said, `which we we’re hoping does not occur.`
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