School Budget Newsletter

Transcription

1 BLIND BROOK-RYE SCHOOL DISTRICT Rye Brook, New York School Budget Newsletter

2 BUDGET MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS On Tuesday, May 16 th, from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM at the Bruno M. Ponterio Ridge Street Elementary School, voters will be presented with the Blind Brook-Rye School District budget adopted by the Board of Education in the amount of $43,915,067, a 1.59% increase over the budget. It is noteworthy that this is the sixth year in the last eight that the proposed budget-tobudget or annual spending increase has been significantly lower than 2%. BUDGET-TO-BUDGET INCREASES 3.50% 3.00% 2.50% 2.00% 1.50% 1.00% 0.50% 0.98% 0.70% 0.94% 3.23% 2.46% 0.87% 1.39% 1.59% % The adopted budget, if passed by resident voters, provides for a 1.31% tax levy increase which is just under the maximum allowable under the law. For, the Blind Brook tax levy growth factor is This coupled with a tax base growth factor of only has created a difficult budget scenario wherein the tax levy can only increase by $489,488. Consequently, in developing a budget for next year we had to cut $518,000 in spending and budget $1,568,841 from reserves to meet the tax levy cap mandate without an override. On the positive side, this budget achieves two important goals it maintains all core instructional programs while staying under the maximum allowable levy limit. Simply, it advances an agenda that places students first while minimizing the financial burden on local taxpayers. After careful analysis, the Superintendent of Schools and Board believe the plan as set forth, will obtain desired results with the projected resources needed to implement the educational program and ensure that every student receives an excellent education. You are encouraged to study the financial plan and ask questions about its contents. For further information please contact the Superintendent of Schools at x3022 or jross@blindbrook.org. Please remember to cast your vote on Tuesday, May 16 th at the BMPRSS Old Gym. BOARD OF EDUCATION Jeffrey B. Diamond, President Ryan S. Goldstein, Vice-President Wendy Z. Adler Daniel C. Savitt Ashley Welde SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS Dr. Jonathan H. Ross 2

3 EXPENDITURE SUMMARY The budget-to-budget expenditure increase is $688,364 or 1.59% for the school year. Driving this increase is the rise in special education and regular instruction costs and the increase in out-of-district pupil transportation costs. The District was able to offset a substantial part of the overall increase by reducing expenditures in the following areas: Operations & Maintenance a reduction of $61,440 Debt Services a reduction of $45,874 Central Office a reduction of $37,382 In the budget there are 41 budget lines with lower spending levels than in the budget. The Blind Brook School District is one of 46 school districts in the Westchester/Putnam region. The Clearinghouse of Educational Services operated by the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES annually develops a comparative study of these 46 school districts. For the previous school year Blind Brook s projected per pupil expenditure was calculated at $28,061, 27 th in the region and just about at the median for the group of school districts reporting data. Major Budget Sections Undistributed 28% General Support 8% Transportation 3% Instruction 61% 3

4 REVENUE SUMMARY The single greatest source of budget revenue is the District s tax levy. This draft of the budget estimates that the total tax levy will be $37,875,647 or 86.3% of total expenditures (before STAR deduction). Non-property revenues are estimated at $6,039,420 or 13.8% of total expenditures, a slight increase from the prior year as result of additional facilities rental revenue, additional state aid, and appropriating $18,841 more from reserves in. The major sources of non-property revenues for are as follows: 1. State aid totaling $2,993,179, about $36,646 more than in ; 2. A transfer into the general fund of $1,568,841 from the District s unassigned and retirement reserve fund balances; 3. County sales tax revenue estimated at $335,000; 4. Nonresident tuition revenue estimated at $425,000; and 5. Split lots revenue collected from neighboring school districts estimated at $325,000. Starting with the school year, the District s ability to increase annual property tax levies is constrained. The property tax cap law, enacted in Chapter 97 of the Laws of 2011, restricts tax levy increases for local governments including public school districts to no more than 2%, or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower (prior to allowable adjustments). Local governments and school districts can override the cap with a 60% vote either by their local governing body or, in the case of a school district, by the voting public. The proposed budget reflects an estimated tax levy with an increase of % from the prior year actual, a figure that is below the maximum allowable tax levy limit of 1.31% calculated for Blind Brook. Revenue Sources Other Non-Tax 3.3% From Fund Balance 3.6% State Aid 6.8% 4 Tax Levy 86.3%

5 BALLOT INFORMATION PROPOSITION 1: APPROVAL OF BUDGET Shall the proposed budget or estimate of expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year (July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018) presented by the Board of Education in the amount of $43,915,067 be approved and the taxes in the necessary amount therefore be levied? [ ] YES [ ] NO VOTE FOR TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (3-year term ending 6/30/2020) 1A 2A 3A JEFFREY B. JENNIFER STEVEN M. DIAMOND SCHLACTUS KAPLAN VOTING INFORMATION Voting Requirements You must be a registered voter who is a United States Citizen, 18 years of age or older, and a Blind Brook resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote. You need not register if, during the last four years, you voted in a general election in Westchester County, voted in a Blind Brook-Rye District election, registered with the Westchester County Board of Elections, or registered with the Blind Brook-Rye School District. When and Where to Register? Until May 11, 2017 registration is continuous Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the District Clerk s office, located at the Ridge Street School, 390 North Ridge Street. Residents can also register with the Westchester County Board of Elections using the New York State registration form which can be obtained at: Who Needs to Register? New Blind Brook residents and residents who have had a change of address must re-register by May 11, When and Where to Vote? Voting will take place on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the Old Gym at the Bruno M. Ponterio Ridge Street School, 390 North Ridge Street. Absentee Ballots If you will be out of town or unable to vote in person on May 16, 2017, you can apply for an absentee ballot. Applications for absentee ballots are available at the District Clerk s Office, online at the District s Website, or you may call x3041 to have an application mailed to you. Absentee Ballot applications must be received in the office of the District Clerk by 4 p.m. on May 15 th. The actual Absentee Ballot must be received by 5 p.m. on May 16 th. 5

6 SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET NOTICE Overall Budget Proposal Budget Adopted for the School Year Budget Proposed for the School Year Contingency Budget for the School Year * Total Budgeted Amount, Not Including Separate Propositions $43,226,703 $43,915,067 $43,425,590 Increase/Decrease for the School Year $688,364 $198,887 Percentage Increase/Decrease in Proposed Budget 1.59 % 0.46% Change in the Consumer Price Index 1.26% A. Proposed Tax Levy to Support the Total Budgeted Amount $37,386,170 $37,875,647 B. Levy to Support Library Debt, if Applicable $0 $0 C. Levy for Non-Excludable Propositions, if Applicable ** $0 $0 D. Total Tax Cap Reserve Amount Used to Reduce Current Year Levy $0 $0 E. Total Proposed School Year Tax Levy (A + B + C - D) $37,386,170 $37,875,647 $37,386,170 F. Permissible Exclusions to the School Tax Levy Limit $1,577,533 $1,528,761 G. School Tax Levy Limit, Excluding Levy for Permissible Exclusions H. Total Proposed Tax Levy for School Purposes, Excluding Permissible Exclusions and Levy for Library Debt, Plus Prior Year Tax Cap Reserve (E - B - F + D) I. Difference: (G H); (Negative Value Requires 60.0% Voter Approval See Note Below Regarding Separate Propositions) ** $35,809,011 $36,346,897 $35,808,637 $36,346,886 $374 $11 Administrative Component $4,389,643 $4,502,655 $4,402,655 Program Component $33,993,651 $34,673,540 $34,334,063 Capital Component $4,843,409 $4,738,872 $4,688,872 * Statement of assumptions made in projecting a contingency budget for the school year, should the proposed budget be defeated pursuant to Section 2023 of the Education Law. In order to put forth a contingency budget with a $0 increase in the tax levy, the District must reduce the proposed expenditures by $489,477 from that budgeted. The following procurement items may need to be removed from the Adopted Budget upon the approval of the Board of Education: Equipment ($300,000), Contractual costs ($129,477) and Textbooks ($60,000). ** List Separate Propositions that are not included in the Total Budgeted Amount: (Tax Levy associated with educational or transportation services propositions are not eligible for exclusion and may affect voter approval requirements) Description Amount None $0 6