Trustees Adopt Budget Below Tax Levy Cap
Huntington School Board members have unanimously adopted a budget to fund district operations during the 2016/17 school year and placed it on the ballot for Tuesday, May 17. Two trustee seats will also be up for grabs that day. Trustees took the action during a public meeting in the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School auditorium on Monday night.
The adopted budget includes funding to continue all academic programs and keeps the art, music, physical education, extracurricular club and interscholastic athletic programs intact. It fully funds the Blue Devil marching band and district drama clubs as well as robotics clubs, the mock trial team and other cherished initiatives.
“Much effort and time was spent in constructing a budget that maintains and in many areas, expands opportunities for our students, K-12, but also considers the taxpayer burden,” Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “We continue to find efficiencies and realize savings in areas that have little to no impact on student learning. My thanks go out to the administrators and staff members from across the district who participated in the budget development process and to Board of Education trustees for always remaining informed and for their ongoing input and support.”
Student bus transportation based upon current mileage guidelines will continue. The plan provides funds to implement strategic improvements to the academic and co-curricular offerings. Current class size guidelines will be maintained. The budget sets aside monies for 4.5 contingent teacher positions that can be filled should enrollment increase.
The budget totals $123,100,263, an increase of 2.25 percent over the current year’s spending plan. If approved by residents, the 2016/17 budget would raise the tax levy by 1.61 percent, which is below the limit of 1.68 percent established by state law.
It is estimated that the tax rate will go from $225.78 to $229.41 per $100 of assessed valuation, an increase of 1.61 percent. Should assessed valuation come in higher than anticipated in the spending plan, trustees will be in a position to lower the actual increase when the tax rate is set early next fall.
The 2016/17 budget allocates $248,662 for new textbooks, $59,683 for new workbooks, $100,000 for new computer software, $47,514 for new library books and $233,772 for new instructional equipment, including computers.
The 2016/17 spending plan allots about $10.3 million for bus transportation. The district is currently transporting 5,230 eligible students residing in the district to eight public schools as well as 38 private/parochial schools and 18 special needs schools in accordance with state law. Students are being transported by 54 large busses and 82 vans. The district expects to receive $3,082,445 in state transportation aid next year, an increase of 4.64 percent over the current amount.
A separate capital projects referendum will also be on the May 17 ballot. If passed, it will allow for $2.436 million worth of work at all eight district buildings. Should the proposition pass, the capital reserve accounts would still contain $6.2 million. Passage of the May 17 proposition will not increase taxes. The district would also receive state aid on the work following its completion.
Capital reserve fund monies can only be used for renovation and reconstruction projects as authorized by voters. The balance in the fund represents dollars already provided to the district by taxpayers that because of tight fiscal management and economizing, weren’t needed to pay for regular school operations. The source of the funding is the annual transfer of surplus monies from the district’s general fund.
Trustee seats currently held by Bill Dwyer and Bari Fehrs will be contested this year. The incumbents are both running for re-election. They are being challenged by newcomer Carmen Kasper. The top two vote getters will earn three year terms commencing on July 1. Trustees do not receive any compensation.
Huntington School Board members will hold a public budget hearing on the 2016/17 plan on Monday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School auditorium.