budget development: 2010-11 budget

Do you have budget comments, concerns or questions? Email them to rhanlon@sgcsd.net or call 386-4343.

August 12, 2010
Board of Education adopts 2010-11 tax rates – lower than projected at budget vote in May

May 28, 2010
Here are the results of the exit poll conducted at the May 18 budget vote (PDF). Many thanks to the 340 community members who completed the poll. The results have been shared with the Board of Education.

May 24, 2010
Local 766 (bus drivers/buildings and grounds) and secretaries unions agree to contracts that include money-saving concessions.

May 19, 2010
Here's the article in the Spotlight about the budget vote.

May 18, 2010
Thank You Scotia-Glenville!

2010-11 budget, bus purchase approved.
Benedetto, Crapo and Smith elected to the Board of Education.

May 10, 2010
These flyers summarizing the 2010-11 budget (PDF) will be sent home with students this week.

May 5, 2010
This presentation was made at tonight's public hearing (in PDF).

May 5, 2010
New voting machines to be used at May 18 vote.

Absentee deadlines for May 18 vote

April 26, 2010
The 2010-11 budget newsletter was sent to print today. It will be mailed after the public hearing on May 5.

April 23, 2010
A PDF copy of 2010-11 budget is available (this is a big file - 98 pages and 6.8 megabytes).
A paper copy is available at the business office, end of Lark Street, Scotia.

April 19, 2010
Five candidates file petitions to seek three seats on the Board of Education.

April 14, 2010
Spring 2010 newsletter has story about the budget on pages 1 and 2.

March 30, 2010
Here's the Daily Gazette story about the budget adoption.

March 29, 2010
Superintendent Susan Swartz's revised presentation showing the changes made before budget adoption (PDF).

The Board of Education unanimously approved a budget for the 2010-11 school year this evening.

The proposed budget totals $47.33 million and would increase taxes by 3.15%. On a typical home with a $160,000 assessment, that is about $100 per year before savings from the state's STAR school tax reduction program.
Spending would increase by 1.4% or $677,779 above the current year's budget of $46.65 million.

The community considers the budget during voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18. A public hearing on the budget will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5.

Read more about the adopted budget.

March 22, 2010
Board of Education members asked the superintendent to restore funding to several areas:

• 0.4 foreign language for grade 6 exploratory class;
• 0.4 technology position for Advance Computer Projects at 7th grade;
•1.0 full-time teaching assistant for elementary library computer labs;
• Varsity swim and golf teams - partial funding;
• Young Scholars (from an earlier BOE meeting);
• $3,750 for academic contests like Odyssey of the Mind and the annual Spelling Bee;
• Partial restoration of summer school for grades 9-12.

The Board of Education agreed to use an additional $260,000 for the fund balance - about half going to these restorations and half going to reduce the tax rate.
BOE members decided against restoring funding to the float nurse and 1-2-3 Success programs.
Discussion of the budget will continue at the Monday, March 29 meeting at 7 p.m. in the MS cafeteria.

March 22, 2010
Board of Education accepts memorandum of agreement with nurse's union for health and wage concessions.

March 20, 2010
Here are the results of the forum responses in each room (PDF) from the March 13 and 17 forums. This information in this document is separated into proposed Elementary, Secondary and Districtwide reductions followed by the responses by the community to those reductions.

Here are the tabulated results from the three questions on the summary cards and additional Feedback Form comments from the forums (PDF).

March 17, 2010
65-70 residents, administrators and Board of Education members gathered for the second community budget forum at the middle school to discuss the 2010-11 budget.
Here is the handout from the forum.

March 15, 2010
Superintendent Susan Swartz, having been asked for additional possible reductions by the Board of Education, presented another $126,194 in potential cutbacks.
Here is a PDF of her Powerpoint presentation.

She and the Board of Education also discussed areas that may be restored (in PDF) if state aid funding came back or the Board of Education agreed to take more from the accumulated fund balance "rainy day" fund. Board members asked Swartz to put pricetags on the proposed items.

Board of Education members agreed to present a bus purchase proposal for three buses on May 18. Transportation Director David VanSchaick said his department would replace buses #s153, 154 and 155 because of increasing maintenance costs and underbody corrosion. Those three buses were purchased in 1998. The three new buses would cost $290,147 before state reimbursement. This purchase would not affect the 2010-11 budget or tax rate.
The board did not take a formal vote on the plan. That is expected at the March 22 meeting.

March 13, 2010
About 60 community members, administrators and Board of Education members attended the first of two community budget forums at the Middle School.
Here is the handout for the forums, which details reductions proposed to date in the 2010-11 budget (in PDF).

The next forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 17.

March 9, 2010
Daily Gazette story about the school district's budget reductions


March 5, 2010
Spotlight News story about the school district's budget reductions.

March 4, 2010
Superintendent Susan Swartz presents an additional $129,000 in reductions that include elimination of funding for the cheerleading, swim and golf programs; reductions in grade 7 boys basketball, baseball and girls volleyball; reductions of family and consumer science, art, music and special education teaching positions. The Board of Education also opted to use one -third of the estimated tax assessment growth in the community ($160,000) toward reducing taxes.
Here is a PDF of her presentation to the Board of Education.

March 1, 2010
Superintendent Susan Swartz presents 2010-11 budget that includes layoffs and program reductions or eliminations. Includes a PDF of her presentation to the Board of Education.

This notice will be included in school newsletters over the next two weeks:

BUDGET FORUMS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 13 AND 17
Scotia-Glenville schools, like others in the area and state, are facing a large cut in state aid that will lead to dozens of jobs being eliminated and several programs eliminated or reduced. Superintendent Susan Swartz will discuss the impact of the proposed 2010-11 budget at two budget forums. They will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 13, and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17. Both will be at the Middle School library. This is a chance for the school community to provide additional information regarding the upcoming budget. The community considers the budget on May 18.

February 23, 2010
Administrators agree to union contract concessions

Daily Gazette article about Scotia-Glenville budget

February 1, 2010
Winter newsletter includes stories about Scotia-Glenville's budget issues and the three Board of Education seats that will be up for election on the May 18 ballot.

January 29, 2010
Letter to staff regarding budget situation.

January 25, 2010
Superintendent Susan Swartz presents budget scenarios and possible reductions in spending (Powerpoint presentation in PDF format).

January 19, 2010
Gov. David Paterson presents 2010-11 state budget that dramatically reduces spending for schools by $1.1 billion.
Scotia-Glenville officials review information and await clarifications.

January 15, 2010
Gov. Paterson restores aid reductions from December and January STAR payments; full-day kindergarten grants still delayed until the fall.

January 11, 2010
Superintendent Susan Swartz presents a carry-forward budget (Powerpoint presentation in PDF format) that would increase spending by 5 percent and taxes by 10 percent. She and Board of Education vow to reduce spending.

December 2009
Governor Paterson orders reductions in state aid, STAR payments to schools.

 

 

 

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