The Niskayuna Central School District would need to raise taxes by 11.4 percent to maintain current programming and services, and making the least painful cuts would only bring that down to 8.9 percent.
Superintendent Susan Kay Salvaggio and Assistant Superintendent for Business Matthew Bourgeois laid out the list of possible cuts for the 2013-14 budget during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday, Feb. 5. There are three levels of cuts, and “Level 2” reductions include the closing of Van Antwerp Middle School or an undetermined elementary school. The district’s projected property levy tax cap increase of 3.25 percent offers little to close its $6 million budget gap.
The district is projected to receive $519,000 less in state aid next year, with revenues likely decreasing $2.5 million, or 3.3 percent. Expenses though are increasing by $3.5 million, or 4.7 percent.
“It is really the beginning of a very long, arduous process — it is a process where we’ll talk about everything and anything,” Salvaggio said to a packed crowd in Van Antwerp’s auditorium.
Before delving into cuts, the districted presented 5-year projections (2013-14 to 2017-18) for “major” budget categories.
“The expenses that we have and some revenues that we have … seem to be going in opposite directions,” Bourgeois said.
Salaries are expected to increase 2.96 percent on average annually and benefits will increase on average 7.7 percent annually. State aid isn’t projected to increase and holds an average annual decrease of 2.41 percent. Fund balance is expected to decrease around 0.4 percent annually.
Potential budget reductions likely to occur (Level 1) include cutting $553,600 of instructional support, $552,600 of administrative services and $471,900 of direct instruction.
Level 1 reductions include eliminate five full-time equivalent positions through cutting two teaching positions, physical education and foreign language, and reducing five other areas by 0.2 FTE teaching positions. The 0.2 cuts are typically related to high school electives, Salvaggio said.
“Where we felt like we could better absorb the reductions you will the recommendation for a full teaching position versus a part of a teaching position,” Salvaggio said.
Other likely reductions include late bus runs being eliminated at the high school and middle schools for a savings of $55,000; freshman sports would be eliminated to save $35,000; reducing 1 FTE high school guidance counselor for a $55,000 savings; and the library books and supplies budget would be reduced $20,000, among other cuts.
Implementing an energy management program is also slated to reduce $100,000 in expenses. Bourgeois said this is a “conservative” estimate based on talks with an energy management company and its past performance.
Closing a building was listed as a Level 2 reduction, falling between likely and less likely to occur cuts. The district only has the option to close on of the schools due to physical limitations.
If Van Antwerp were closed, sixth-grade students would attend one of the five elementary schools and save the district almost $970,000. Teaching staff would be reduced by 4 FTE under this scenario and accounts for $286,000 in savings. Six administration services positions would be eliminated for around $400,000 in savings.
If an elementary school closed, students would continue to attend middle school as usual, from sixth to eighth grade, with the remaining elementary school absorbing an increase in students.
A particular school hasn’t been selected, but savings were projected as an average of its five schools. The overall savings is projected to total around $455,000, with no teaching staff eliminated.
If a school closed, the district would continue to maintain the building to avoid it falling in disrepair. Utilities expenses would be reduced by $60,000 at Van Antwerp and an elementary school would save $48,000, both targeted at a 40 percent reduction.
Reductions identified as least likely to occur accounted for a total $2.68 million and included subcontracting for bus drivers, reducing full-day kindergarten to half day, eliminating modified sports (with eliminating freshman sports as likely to occur) and reducing the technology replacement plan by $50,000.