Delayed state budget concerns school district
WATERVLIET, N.Y. >> Officials from the Watervliet City School District have been working hard on a proposed budget for the upcoming school year, but without a state budget in place, some ambiguity remains as to the amount of state aid revenue the district can expect to receive.
“Developing our school budget has become a little more ambiguous since we do not yet have definitive information as to the amount of state aid our dis- trict will receive,” said Watervliet City School District Superintendent Lori Caplan. “We are hopeful that the legislature and the governor will reach a budget deal before the deadline. In the meantime, the safest path for us is to develop our budget based on the aid outlined in the governor’s executive proposal.”
Under the Governor’s budget proposal released in January, Watervliet’s foundation aid would increase $216,572. With other categorical aids factored in, including expense- driven aid and building aid, the district would receive a total of $582,837 in funding from the state.
With Legislatures unable to make a deal before last week’s budget deadline, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed off on an extender of two months for a budget deal to be made. Assemblyman John McDonald III, D- Cohoes, said that it is important for them to work out a budget deal before many school districts have their budget votes next month.
“School budget votes are next month and without a state spending plan, districts would be left in the dark regarding how much funding they will have for the next school year,” said McDonald in an email. “I will continue to work day in and day out with my colleagues in the Legislature and the Governor to pass the budget as soon as possible.”
The proposed plan for the 2017-18 school budget would currently increase spending over the current year by around two percent and would support all current academic programs and student services. It would also include funding to restore some modified sports teams that had been eliminated previously, as well as add a special education teacher and increase a part-time reading position to full time at the Jr./Sr. High School to meet student needs.
District officials said that the maximum allowable cap for the 2017-18 school year is 1.3 percent; the district will also present a budget that stays at or is slightly below the cap. Officials also said that the district has never gone over its allowable tax levy cap since the law was first enacted, and the district said they have no plans to go over now either.
As part of the proposed budget, the district would receive $3,753,277 in building aid funds, which is an increase of more than $120,000 from last year.
On Tuesday, May 16, voters will be asked to vote on three separate propositions. The first
proposition vote is for the amount of General Fund expenditures to support the 2017-18 school district budget, excluding the amount from proposition two.
Proposition two is a vote on a proposed 5-year bus lease. The district’s current lease of its three busses was last placed on the ballot and approved in May 2012 and expires at the end of June. This proposition would allow the district to bid for the lease of three new busses to continue to provide the current level of transportation services to students.
District residents will see a separate proposition on the ballot this year for funding to support the Watervliet Public Library with a tax levy increase of $150,000. In accordance with state education law, the school district is required to present the library proposition on its ballot. Although the library proposition has nothing to do with the school district’s finances, the law requires that the district allow the library
to place the funding proposition on its ballot.
If voters approve the library proposition, the tax revenue collected would go directly to the library, not the school district.
“The library is a separate legal entity,” said Caplan. “Any public funds collected through the library proposition are in no way related to the school district’s budget or school taxes.”
The public is invited to a final school budget workshop, the annual Budget Breakfast, this Saturday, April 8 at 9 a.m. at Watervliet Jr./Sr. High School. The public budget vote will take place Tuesday, May 16 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the district’s two polling locations: the Watervliet Elementary School and the Watervliet Elks.