On Tuesday evening, May 2nd, at the Public Hearing on the 2006/07 School Budget, the possibility of an Austerity/Contingency Budget was addressed. An Austerity/Contingency Budget is the budget that is put in place should the Proposed School Budget be defeated by district residents. Next year’s Proposed School Budget is $51,711,300 and the Austerity/Contingency Budget is $51,952,930. In most cases an Austerity/Contingency Budget is lower than the Proposed School Budget. In our case next year, the Austerity/Contingency Budget is actually $241,630 more than our Proposed Budget. The tax levy increase for the Proposed Budget is 4.97%. The tax levy increase for an Austerity/Contingency Budget would be 5.74%. Austerity/Contingency Budgets are derived using a complex formula that is set in place by the New York State Education Department.

Next year, if the voters reject the Proposed Budget and we must adopt an Austerity/Contingency Budget the School District would receive more money, and it would be more expensive for the community. An Austerity/Contingency Budget would also restrict our ability and/or flexibility to apply the resources of the district to where they will do the most good. We would not be able to purchase equipment, offer modified sports and most field trips would be eliminated because these activities do not fall into the mandated categories of health/safety, legal/statutory, or essential for the instructional program. We have worked very hard to craft and formulate a budget that is educationally sound and fiscally responsible. Arguably, our budget has gone up, but we have kept the tax levy increase within the range we promised the community last year. The fact that an Austerity/Contingency Budget would be more expensive to District residents, illustrates our Proposed Budget is sound. Another way of comparing the Proposed Budget to the Austerity/Contingency Budget is that “we can accomplish more with less next year” if the voters approve the Proposed Budget.

Once again, I encourage questions with regard to our Proposed Budget. You are certainly welcome to stop by my office and/or to call (294-2410) to have your questions addressed. It is essential to us that you understand our budget, so that you may be able to vote your conscience after reviewing the appropriate information.

Last year we were very embarrassed when our District Newsletter was not received by a number of households until either the day of the vote, or in some instances a day or two after the vote for the School Budget. In our efforts to save money while on an Austerity/Contingency Budget in 2004/05, we opted for only one public mailing and incorporated into the District Budget Newsletter, the State mandated Budget Post Card. The plan went astray when the single mailing did not make it to District residents on time. Thus, we are doing things differently this year. The Budget Newsletter is already in the mail and the mandated Post Card, which will explain the difference between an Austerity/Contingency Budget and the Proposed Budget, will be mailed today, Wednesday, May 3rd. Please look for both of these mailings because they will be very helpful in your decision making process. Every effort has been made to insure an early mailing to provide you with all of the necessary budget information. Should you not receive these mailings in a timely fashion, please check with your local post office.

Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools