| May
8, 2008
Budget
newsletters to be mailed today.
Here
is the newsletter.
May
7, 2008
The
public hearing on the budget was held at the Middle
School followed by the Meet the Candidates Night forum.
Board of Education President Margaret Smith discussed
the overview
of the budget and answered several questions from
those in attendance.
Board
of Education candidates Pamela Carbone, Benjamin
Conlon and Brian McCann discussed why they are seeking
seats on the board and various issues relating to testing,
buidling project, etc.
April 21, 2008
Three
candidates file petitions to run for three seats on
the Board of Education.
April
8, 2008
Board
of Education adopts budget for 2008-09.
Board
of Education members unanimously adopted a 2008-09 budget
totaling $45.8 million. The plan calls for a maximum
tax increase of 3.35 percent.
Spending
would increase by $1.29 million or 2.9 percent from
this year's $44.57 million budget.
If one were to include the one-time expense of $800,000
last year to make improvements at the Glendaal Elementary
School, the total increase would be $2.1 million or
4.8 percent.
Please
remember these dates:
•
May 7:
Budget hearing and Meet the Candidates Night
•
May 20:
Budget and Board of Education vote, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.,
high school gym
These new initiatives totaling $282,475 were included
in the proposed budget:
Elementary
•
Program for Children with Autism
• Increase in Social Work Services at Glendaal
• Establish Elementary Club Funds
• Increase in Physical Education Time in grades
K-3
• Increase in Teacher for the Gifted and Talented
• Maintain Current Young Scholars Program
Middle School
•
Teen
Elective Class
High School
•
Increase
in Transition Planning Time
•
Tech
Valley HS Student
•
CISCO
IT Essentials Class
District-Wide
•
Increase
District support for Academic Contests
•
Increase
in Head Bus Driver Hours
•
Hockey
and Athletic Expansion at Middle and High School
•
Increase
in hardware for Computer Replacement
•
Increase
in software funding
•
Network
Upgrade Study Total Long Range Planning
Here
is the story from the Daily Gazette about the budget
approval.
March
31, 2008
Superintendent
outlines four budget scenarios
Read
her Powerpoint here.
The
Board of Education reviewed four scenarios with tax
increases ranging from 3.2 percent to 4.5 percent. Board
members settled on a scenario that would raise taxes
by an estimated 3.4 percent.
Board
members asked Superintendent Susan Swartz to return
at the April 7 meeting with revised figures to show
an additional $50,000 for a second OPAL gifted education
teacher. The board also asked that the Young Scholars
program be preserved in grades 4 and 5. Board members
were studying a proposal that would have hired the new
teacher to work with grades 4 and 5 students and replace
Young Scholars.
At
the same time, the board supported creating a progam
for children with autism beginning in September.
March
26, 2008
Here
is the Spotlight News story from the March 24 meeting
regarding the presentation about artificial turf.
March
24, 2008
Superintendent
Susan Swartz presented initiatives for the secondary
levels - middle and high school.
Read
her Powerpoint here.
At
this meeting, she also asked Board of Education members
for guidance regarding taxes for the upcoming year.
Her budget, as presented originally, would increase
taxes by 5-6 percent.
Board members said they would be comfortable with a
3-4 percent tax increase. Each 1 percent change in the
tax rate – either to reduce or increase –
equals about $225,000 in spending.
March
18, 2008
Gazette
article about the Board of Education's continuing review
of budget proposals.
March
10, 2008
Superintendent
Susan Swartz presents expenditures at the elementary
and non-instructional budgets.
Read
her Powerpoint presentation here.
March 5, 2008
Spotlight
News article about the budget presentation.
Feb.
27, 2008
Daily
Gazette article about the budget presentation.
Feb.
25, 2008
Superintendent
Susan Swartz proposed a $46.139 million budget for the
upcoming 2008-09 school year. The plan would increase
spending by $1,572,090, or 3.53 percent over the current
year's budget of $44.567 million budget.
Swartz discussed three budget scenarios to the Board
of Education tonight:
• A carryover budget – essentially continuing
the same program and course offerings as today –
would cost an additional $1,006,915 or 2.26 percent
over the current year's budget of $44,567,743.
• The superintendent's proposed $46.139 million
2008-09 budget calls for a 3.53 percent or $1.572 million
spending increase over the current year's budget of
$44.567 million.
• A contingency budget, adopted if the budget
were defeated by the community, would require approximately
$74,000 in spending reductions from the superintendent's
proposed budget.
State law allows school districts to increase spending
by a maximum of 3.36 percent under a contingency budget
in 2008-09. In Scotia-Glenville's case, that would mean
a maximum expenditure of $1.497 million over this year's
budget.
Swartz noted that several issues – adoption of
a state budget, uncertainty about state aid, reductions
in BOCES aid and rising insurance costs – are
among the issues that will impact the proposed budget.
Because of these variables, Swartz said it would be
impossible to estimate a tax increase this early in
the process.
Read
the superintendent's Microsoft Powerpoint presentation
about the budget
The
Board of Education will review the budget at work sessions
at 7 p.m. on March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 with budget
adoption expected on April 7. All of the meetings will
be held at the Middle School. Community members may
comment during the open floor part of the meetings.
The
public hearing on the budget will be held at 7 p.m.
on Wednesday, May 7, at the Middle School.
Community
voting on the budget will be held from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
on Tuesday, May 20, at the Senior High School.
Feb.
12, 2008
Three
seats up for election in the May 20 Board of Education
race
Budget archives
|
2008-09 budget
