S-G School Board hits $1M cut target By MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SCOTIA - Scotia-Glenville Board of Education members Thursday night trimmed another $432,000 from spending, bringing to $1 million the total amount cut from the district's proposed 2003-04 budget. As proposed, the $35.5 million budget cuts 12 teaching and 8.5 cleaning positions and carries a projected tax rate increase of between 10 percent and 13.6 percent. Expenditures will rise by 5.6 percent over the 2002-03 budget. The board must adopt a budget by April 14. Residents will vote on the plan on May 20. Superintendent Michael Marcelle said this budget restores some earlier cuts that affected educational programs at the middle school. "As we consider an educational program next year, these reductions will work," he said. Board President Kurt Ahnert said the board is not ready to adopt this as the final budget, and it may make some additional cuts. "We can still try to tweak it, although I'm not sure where we can go," he said. Several board members said they would be willing to submit this budget to voters, with the understanding that the board has cut as much as possible without seriously jeopardizing programming. "We've achieved what we set out to do. We trimmed $1 million from the budget. Even though we're not happy with where we're at with the tax rate, we're going through some extraordinary conditions this year," board member Karen Bradley said. The state reduced the district's aid by $1 million. Meanwhile district expenditures increased by nearly $3 million. Marcelle said he expects the state will restore approximately 40 percent of the lost aid, which will help reduce the overall tax rate increase. The current budget restores grade seven modified and intramural sports and the school resource officer, and it lessens the cuts to several educational programs at the middle school. It cuts grades K-5 summer school, athletic transportation, textbooks and supplies. Board member Ben Conlon questioned the lack of cuts in athletics compared to educational programming. "Education is taking a back seat to athletics with virtually no changes at all to programs," he said. He called the discrepancy a matter of values. The 12 teachers represent 5 percent of the district's total teaching staff. Ahnert said the board could consider cutting modified sports and four elementary school positions, which would affect programming, or eliminate transitional kindergarten for half-day or full-day kindergarten. Board members said they would only consider these cuts if voters reject the budget on May 20. "If the budget doesn't pass, then it will be get ugly, real ugly," said board member Dan Magruder.