Trustees Adopt Proposed Budget for 2009/10
After weeks of deliberations and countless decisions, Huntington School Board members adopted a proposed budget to fund district operations during the 2009/10 school year and sent the plan to residents for a community vote on Tuesday, May 19 at Huntington High School from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The budget proposes spending of $104,814,259, an increase of 1.16 percent over the current year. The plan carries an estimated tax rate increase of 2.89 percent. An infusion of federal funds helped prevent significant cuts to the academic and co-curricular programs.
Trustees spent two months reviewing a draft spending plan, refining it, debating changes and making targeted reductions and restorations. It wasn’t until late in the process that the revenue picture came into sharper focus and final decisions could be made.
To guard against an “October Surprise,” trustees lowered the district’s estimated assessed property value by nearly $660,000 due to a concern that homeowners could win pending property tax challenges, of which there are thousands across the town. The final assessment roll won’t be known until early fall, but by lowering the estimated assessed value now, trustees sought to protect residents against an unexpected tax increase when the tax rate is set in October.
When the process began last winter, the district was facing the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid. But, that all changed this spring. “This budget’s state aid package contains federal funds totaling $1,194,638,” Huntington School Board President Bill Dwyer explained. “Of that, $479,633 is indicated as ‘stimulus funds’ which come with the direction that they be used to restore jobs and programs or create new ones. We are pleased that we were able to use these funds to restore a number of personnel and programs slated for elimination.”
The additional monies allowed for the restoration of two elementary librarians, two elementary teachers, 1.4 secondary level teachers, funding for the arts-in-education program and keeping the high school library open after school two days a week.
“Additionally we were able to free up monies in the general fund to support programs and positions,” Mr. Dwyer said. “This was achieved by transferring the cost of benefits for personnel whose salaries are covered by the federal grants to the grants themselves, which also received additional funds as part of the stimulus. Additionally we were able to reduce general fund expenses by transferring the K-8 after school reading program to these new funds as well.”
During the budget process trustees discussed the temporary nature of the stimulus funding and the fact the district couldn’t count on it over the long term. “Therefore, we need to begin a process of examining how to more efficiently administer all of our programs, not just those considered for cuts,” Mr. Dwyer said. “We have two years to prepare for that time when the federal funds are no longer available and we are forced to make the choice to support all of our existing programs more efficiently, or cut programs and positions as we had contemplated this year.”
If residents fail to pass a budget for 2009/10, trustees will have to impose $156,336 in expenditure cut as per state law. “This amounts to a reduction of less than two-tenths of one percent of the current budget, yet affects ongoing maintenance of facilities critical to controlling building costs on an annual basis,” Mr. Dwyer explained. “The difference in cost to the average taxpayer between the proposed budget and this year’s austerity budget is negligible.”
Trustees said the budget sent to residents preserves the district’s traditionally strong classroom education, along with club programs and music, art and sports offerings.
“Yes, these are difficult times, but if the strength of a community is measured in how it responds to adversity, then there can be few communities stronger than ours,” Mr. Dwyer said. “We are encouraged by so many various elements of the school district coming together to develop this budget which provides an outstanding educational program in a fiscally responsible manner.”
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