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Ask the Superintendent - April 19, 2006
In just four short weeks, residents throughout New
York State will go to the polls to cast their
ballots and vote for their 2006/07 school budgets, a
variety of propositions and to elect members to
their local Boards of Education. As of this date it
is safe to say all school boards across the State,
working with their administrators, have adopted
their respective school budgets. In the weeks prior
to the vote on May 16th, these budgets will be
presented to the residents of their districts.
Frequent readers of this column may recall that our
school board adopted the proposed 2006/07 budget for
Goshen at a regular board meeting on April 10th.
Throughout my professional career, I have often been
asked why school budgets increase every year. No
Board of Education or superintendent wants their
budget to increase each year, but unfortunately
expenses increase for school districts in the same
way they increase for homeowners, only on a larger
scale. The key to managing all budgets, home and
school alike, is fiscal responsibility.
Last year the Board of Education and the central
office team presented a budget to the public, which
included a tax levy increase of 4.8%. That tax levy
increase was the lowest in five years. We stated at
that time that it was our goal to maintain a stable
tax levy increase for the future. This year, the tax
levy increase for our proposed budget is 4.97% which
happens to be the second lowest in five years. Even
with rapidly rising energy costs and with the
addition of new positions to address increasing
enrollment, we were able to maintain a relatively
steady tax levy increase. The 4.97% tax levy
increase will still be much lower than what we have
seen in recent history:
|
Year |
Tax Levy Increase |
| 2002-03 |
12.8% |
| 2003-04 |
8% |
| 2004-05
Austerity |
10.7% |
| 2005-06 |
4.8% |
| 2006-07 |
4.97% |
One of the things
of which we are most proud is that for the second
consecutive year we have successfully been able to
manage and reduce administrative and capital
expenses as a percentage of the total budget, and
reallocate those monies into instructional expenses
where they belong:
|
Component |
% of Budget |
Component |
% of Budget |
Component |
% of Budget |
|
Administrative |
|
Instructional |
|
Capital |
|
| 2004-05 |
11.2% |
2004-05 |
73.6% |
2004-05 |
15.2% |
| 2005-06 |
9.4% |
2005-06 |
77.7% |
2005-06 |
12.9% |
| 2006-07 |
9.3% |
2006-07 |
78.1% |
2006-07 |
12.7% |
On Monday, April 24th, Tuesday, April 25th, and
Wednesday, April 26th, the central office team will
once again be “on the road” with our “budget tour,”
speaking to community members and answering their
questions. If you would like us to attend one of
your meetings or have us address a group, please
call my office at 294-2410. We will be very happy to
talk about the proposed budget with you. Our goal is
to present the 2006/07 budget with accurate
information to as many people as possible, and to
answer all questions.
A reminder that on Tuesday, May 2nd, the Board of
Education will hold its Public Hearing at 7:00 p.m.,
in the Main Street School when the residents of the
community will have the opportunity to come and ask
questions regarding the proposed budget. Also in the
near future, you will receive at home our Budget
Newsletter and Budget Notice (post card), which will
offer a complete picture of next year’s school
budget.
In next week’s article I will continue the
discussion on the 2006/07 budget. Topics will
include the bus proposition and an explanation of
the “adjusted budget”. In my May 3rd column, I will
discuss the impact that an Austerity/Contingency
Budget would have on our school district for next
year.
Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools
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