O V Otselic Valley Central School Otselic Valley Central School Proposed Budget 2016-2017 ANNUAL BUDGET HEARING Tuesday, May 10, 2016 PK-12 Building Cafeteria: 7:00 p.m. ANNUAL BUDGET VOTE Tuesday, May 17, 2016 ANNUAL BOARD MEMBER ELECTION Tuesday, May 17, 2016 Georgetown Building District One PK-12 Building District Two Polls Open: Noon To 9:00 p.m. MONTHLY BOARD MEETING Tuesday, May 17, 2016 PK-12 Building Cafeteria: 8:30 p.m.
From the Superintendent Dear Members of the OV Community: Balance is a theme we are seeing school districts wrestle with all across the state. How do we increase opportunities for our students while balancing the pressures of increasing costs? Failure to provide our students with opportunities is not an acceptable option, of course we must prepare our students for a changing world. For example, it has been estimated that 65% of the jobs our elementary students will have as adults have not even been invented yet. Twenty years ago, who would have guessed that job titles could include webmaster or app developer? As we work on providing opportunities for our students, we have also worked on community connections to help bridge these innovations for students, families and district residents. We added a birth-to-pk reading program in the library that is linked to Fridays Morning Programs. We added grade level breakfasts so parents and families of students at each grade can hear details about their child s classroom activities, targets, and achievements. We repurposed ipads, pre-loaded them with apps appropriate for early childhood to help with school readiness and literacy, and made them available to families with very young children. We are adding Day 5, an introductory robotics program available to all students through grades 6, to the upcoming summer recreation program. Every Friday students will have the opportunity to work with OV teachers using real robotic devices and games. We have introduced robotics to different grades for experimentation, and look forward to growing a robotics program that connects to our PK 12 instruction. We use a variety of media to communicate regularly with families and District residents. O V Otselic Valley We are developing an easy-to-use and cost-effective way for community groups to use our fitness center/weight room. When we can, we work with community groups and organizations such as the Cub Scouts who held a Pinewood Derby competition at school. Another twenty-first century change expected for our students is an increasingly diverse workplace. To help with this, we ve added opportunities: Central School A Chinese teacher works with our students on Chinese language and culture on Fridays. Some of you noticed the special activities she led during the Chinese New Year season. Students in many grades have been enjoying live, virtual field trips in destinations worldwide made possible by big screens and technology questions and answers with an educator sitting in South Africa were fun and easy. Older students used Google 3-D technologies to experience 360 degree views of historic sites in Germany and elsewhere. International students are now able to study at OV through our participation in the F-1 program. Our district has been approved by the U.S. Department of State to welcome students with appropriate student visas, and look forward to meeting new students coming from around the world. The world our students are entering is more connected than it has ever been, and our staff works hard to bridge related challenges to the benefit of our students. We also have some fiscal challenges in front of us. For example, health insurance is going up 19% for a total of about $140,000, our tax cap is at.09% this year, our gas pumps will need attention in our future building maintenance plans and the minimum wage shift could cost as much as $400,000 if all wages in the organization are shifted proportionately. We have and we will continue to face these changes in a number of ways: In the short-term, we increased our BOCES aid for services that are at a reduced cost. We shifted many of our teacher aides to buses in the afternoon to increase the safety of our students and take advantage of the 90% aid on transportation during the portion of day they ride the bus. Long-term, we are seeking to add a capital reserve in order to prudently save for long-term building and property improvements and continue our bus leasing program. We are working to have some of these capital reserve savings available to keep the current tax levy down in the future, even while taking care of our school. As I look into the future, the key is that we work together as a school community to do what is best for our children and what is responsible for our taxpayers. Your Board of Education continues to promote these themes to help guide our district into a very bright future for our children. Daniel G. Henner, Superintendent of Schools 2
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED About the Proposed Budget Will the voting continue to be held in both the Georgetown school and the South Otselic school? The Board has authorized polling in both buildings for the 2016-2017 budget vote. As with the previous balloting, you must vote within your specific voting district. Call the District Office if you have questions regarding where to vote. How is the budget shown to me in this document? New York State law requires all school districts to present their budgets in three parts: Administrative, Program, and Capital. What will my actual tax rate be? O V Actual tax rates are set after assessments are made by town, county, or state officials. This information comes to us in August. What is the property tax increase for 2016-2017? Otselic Valley The proposed property tax increase is 0%, well below the current allowable tax cap for OV at 0.09%. This is the lowest tax increase during the past 10 years. How will the STAR program affect my school taxes? Central School The Basic School Tax Relief (STAR) exemption remains which can be of significant value to homeowners. Homeowners must apply through their town assessor s office to be eligible for this tax break. Does OV take the taxpayers STAR savings or other programs into account when developing its budget? No. The STAR program is tax relief for homeowners, paid through state taxes. It is not a source of funding for schools. It is not considered when developing the budget. Will voting no on this budget have any impact on salaries and benefits? No. Salaries and benefits are negotiated with employee groups for multi-year periods. What happens if the budget is defeated? Under state law, if the budget is defeated, the Board of Education can schedule one more budget vote using the same or a revised budget. Or, the Board can decide to go directly to a contingency budget that can still include a tax increase based on state formulas. If the budget is voted on again and defeated a second time, the Board must adopt a contingency budget. Certain regulations restrict spending under contingency, which may affect program and/or staffing. Public use of school facilities would be prohibited unless a fee to cover expenses is applied. This would include the prohibited use of athletic facilities, fitness center, and K-12 library. I no longer have children in school. Why should I support the school? The state has determined that public education is funded this way. Well-educated citizens benefit the entire community. Good schools help to increase property values. Schools are a source of community identity and pride. 3
Three Part Budget Administration Administrative includes BOE expenses, finance, administrators, supervisors, and clerical staff, public information and printing, curriculum and staff developments, tax collection, and some legal costs, and benefits. Item Description 2015-2016 2016-2017 Change BOARD OF EDUCATION 4,000 1,000-3,000 DISTRICT CLERK 7,600 6,000-1,600 DISTRICT MEETINGS 250 900 650 CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION 135,000 145,000 10,000 BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 281,400 300,000 18,600 AUDITING 31,000 31,000 0 TREASURER 800 500-300 TAX COLLECTION 7,550 3,000-4,550 PURCHASING 3,200 3,200 0 FISCAL AGENT FEE 4,000 15,000 11,000 LEGAL 10,000 6,000-4,000 PERSONNEL 22,500 12,500-10,000 RECORDS MANAGEMENT 6,000 4,000-2,000 PUBLIC INFORMATION & SERVICES 32,750 53,500 20,750 CENTRAL PRINTING AND MAILING 27,500 30,000 2,500 CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING 76,950 238,270 161,320 SPECIAL ITEMS 271,859 250,000-21,859 SUPERVISION - REGULAR SCHOOL 160,617 150,000-10,617 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 112,733 145,473 32,740 TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE 1,195,709 1,395,343 199,634 Program Program includes instruction, special needs, occupational education, summer school, guidance, library, health services, transportation, extra and co-curricular, and benefits for all employed in this category. Item Description 2015-2016 2016-2017 Change LEGAL 3,000 3,000 0 INSERVICE TRAINING - INSTRUCTION 6,000 18,000 12,000 TEACHING - REGULAR SCHOOL 2,252,582 2,350,263 97,681 PROGRAMS FOR HANDICAPPED PUPILS 718,350 723,129 4,779 SPECIAL NEEDS 0 0 0 OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION 304,000 294,000-10,000 SPECIAL SCHOOLS 19,050 15,000-4,050 SCHOOL LIBRARY & AUDIO-VISUAL 123,200 141,088 17,888 COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION 418,250 218,250-200,000 GUIDANCE - REGULAR SCHOOL 101,350 100,000-1,350 HEALTH SERVICES - REGULAR SCHOOL 108,950 76,255-32,695 DIAGNOSTIC SCREENING 5,000 5,000 0 CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES - REGULAR SCHOOL 57,600 57,600 0 INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS - REGULAR SCHOOL 105,500 105,500 0 YOUTH PROGRAM 2,000 2,000 0 CIVIC ACTIVITIES 450 500 50 DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION 475,500 491,017 15,517 BUILDING 26,000 20,000-6,000 INTERFUND TRANSFERS 75,000 60,000-15,000 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 2,222,746 2,655,068 432,322 TOTAL PROGRAM 7,024,528 7,335,670 311,142 4
Capital Capital includes purchase of new buses, maintenance staff, insurance, debt service to buildings, and utilities. Item Description 2015-2016 2016-2017 Change OPERATION OF PLANT 479,000 427,000-52,000 MAINTENANCE OF PLANT 250,275 150,000-100,275 REFUND ON REAL PROPERTY TAXES 1,000 1,000 0 SERIAL BONDS 1,076,749 1,028,619-48,130 B.N.s (BUS) 0 0 0 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 172,433 205,195 32,762 TOTAL CAPITAL 1,979,457 1,811,814-167,643 TOTAL BUDGET 10,199,694 10,542,827 343,133 Revenues Item Description 2015-2016 2016-2017 Change State Aids FOUNDATION AID 4,102,940 4,215,242 112,302 TRANSPORTATION AID 504,840 448,668-56,172 SOFTWARE, LIBRARY, TEXTBOOK AID 27,658 24,550-3,108 HARDWARE AND TECHNOLOGY AID 5,399 5,294-105 BOCES AID 717,903 764,056 46,153 HIGH COST EXCESS COST 66,873 44,325-22,548 BUILDING AID 964,470 995,118 30,648 GAP ELIMINATION ADJUSTMENT -4,296 0 4,296 Miscellaneous Aids MEDICAID ASSISTANCE 0 0 0 Local Efforts STUDENT FEES AND CHARGES 0 0 0 ADMISSIONS 0 2,000 2,000 TUITION/REGULAR SCHOOL 0 0 0 INTEREST AND EARNINGS 2,500 4,000 1,500 REFUND/PRIOR YRS EXPENSE 65,000 300,000 235,000 INTEREST AND PENALTIES 7,000 3,500-3,500 From Emp. Ben. Accrued Liab. Res. 0 0 0 From Debt Service Fund 58,946 58,946 0 Other Federal Aid - QZAB 153,333 150,000-3,333 Appropriated Fund Balance 380,000 380,000 0 Property Tax Levy 3,147,128 3,147,128 0 TOTAL REVENUES 10,199,694 10,542,827 343,133 5
Candidates for the Board of Education The following profiles were submitted by the candidates and are in order that they will appear on the ballot. Terri Hammond I am a former Otselic Valley Elementary School Secretary who has also served five years on the School Board in the past. I currently work for Defense Financial Accounting Services (DFAS) full-time and part-time during the tax season for H&R Block in Cazenovia. I have three children that all graduated from Otselic Valley. My daughter Jesica is a volunteer for many OV sponsored activities and works as an office manager for a trucking company. My son Matt is a Sr. Engineer for Remington Arms in Alabama and my daughter Holly is a former USMC SGT who is currently a first grade teacher at College Park Elementary School, NC. As you can see, the teachers and staff at OV have provided my children with an outstanding education for them to further succeed and I would like to see that our teachers and staff members continue to have the support necessary to continue this tradition for other children. Mark Swayze My name is Mark Swayze and I am a 35-year resident of Beaver Meadow. I live there with my wife who recently retired after teaching for 30 years at Otselic Valley. I have owned and operated my own business for 32 years. I currently serve as a town council member for the Town of Smyrna, and have for 14 years. I have three daughters, all graduates of this school district, who have married and purchased homes here, and four grandchildren who all live in the school district. We were actively involved in the District while our children were attending and will continue to do so as our grandchildren enter school. I am interested in running for the Board of Education because I would like to help make decisions that are advantageous for everyone in this school district. As a self-employed business owner I know it is important to give customers quality work for their investments. As a board member it would be important to me to try and make decisions based on what is best for the taxpayers of the district. I also feel it is just as important to listen and assist the staff at Otselic Valley, allowing them to do their best job. Most importantly, I want to make sure our students are getting the best education that is possible. Brian Wood My name is Brian Wood and I am a candidate for the Otselic Valley School Board. I have been a resident of Otselic Valley my entire life. I graduated from OV in 1994 and currently live in South Otselic with my wife and son. I have had the opportunity to fill a position on the OVCS Board for the past few months. I have really enjoyed my opportunity in seeing how the OV school works internally. I hope you will consider me for the position on the Otselic Valley School Board. I feel our children s education is going in the right direction and would love to remain a part of it. There is still more to learn on my behalf and I am looking forward to continuing the experience. 6
OTSELIC VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL 2016-17 School District Budget Notice Overall Budget Proposal Budget Adopted 15-16 Budget Proposed 16-17 Contingency Budget 16-17* Total Budgeted Amount, Not Including Separate Propositions $ 10,199,694 $ 10,542,827 $ 10,391,537 Increase/Decrease for the 2016-17 School Year $ 343,133 $ 191,843 Percentage Increase/Decrease in Proposed Budget 3.36% 1.88% Change in the Consumer Price Index 0.12% Proposed Levy to Support the Total Budgeted Amount, Net of Reserve $ 3,147,128 $ 3,147,128 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) $ 3,147,128 $ 3,147,128 $ 3,096,939 F. Total Permissible Exclusions $ 58,946 $ 112,179 G. School Tax Levy Limit, Excluding Levy for Permissible Exclusions $ 3,088,409 $ 3,096,939 H. Total Proposed School Year Tax Levy, Excluding Levy to Support Library Debt and/or Permissible Exclusions (E - B - F) $ 3,088,128 $ 3,034,949 I. Difference: (G - H) Negative Value Requires 60.0% Voter Approval ** $ 227 $ 61,990 Administrative Component $ 1,195,709 $ 1,395,343 $ 1,374,800 Program Component $ 7,024,528 $ 7,335,670 $ 7,335,699 Capital Component $ 1,979,457 $ 1,811,814 $ 1,681,038 Est. Basic STAR Exemption Savings 1 ** List Separate Propositions that are not included in the Total Budgeted Amount Desc: Desc: Desc: Desc: $ 435.00 $ $ $ $ *Statement of assumptions made in projecting a contingency budget for the 2016-17 school year, should the proposed budget be defeated pursuant to Section 2023 of the Education Law. The annual budget vote for the fiscal year 2016-2017 by the qualified voters of the Otselic Valley Central School District, Chenango & Madison Counties, New York, will be held at the K-12 and Georgetown schools in said district on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 9:00 p.m. prevailing time, in the K-12 and Georgetown schools, at which time the polls will be opened to vote by voting ballot or machine. 1 The basic school tax relief (STAR) exemption is authorized by Section 425 of the Real Property Tax Law. **Tax Levy associated with educational or transportation services propositions are not eligible for exclusion and may affect voter approval requirements. 7
OTSELIC VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL South Otselic, New York 13155 Board Members Jeremy Foster, President Rachel Peabody, Vice President Donna Liuzzo Marcia Marshall Brian Wood Gail Evans Burpee, District Clerk Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage P A I D PERMIT NO. 18 Norwich, NY 13815 DCMO BOCES Printing Service Norwich, NY CURRENT RESIDENT OR ECRWSS BOXHOLDER The Otselic Valley Central School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disabilities, marital or veteran status. Contact person: Daniel Henner, Superintendent, P.O. Box 161, 125 County Road 13A, South Otselic, NY 13155 (315) 653-7218. Voter Eligibility To vote, you must be: At least 18 years old; A U.S. citizens; A resident of the Otselic Valley School District for at least 30 days; Registered in your county of residency or registered with the school district; and You must vote within your voting district. Voting District One: Madison County Voting District Two: Chenango County Contact the District Clerk at 653-7218, ext. 4042 with questions. ABSENTEE Ballots To vote by absentee ballot: Contact the District Clerk at 653-7218, ext. 4042. Directions for filing an absentee ballot must be accurately followed.