Draft 2019-20 budget maintains academic programs

At the Board of Education meeting on April 8, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Leach presented a draft $95,089,284 budget for 2019-20 that maintains current academic programs and initiatives and carries a tax levy increase of 2.69 percent.

The proposed tax levy increase, totaling $1,648,633, is below the district’s calculated tax cap by $95,947. If the budget is approved, this would be third time in the past four years that the tax levy increase is below the tax cap.

The district will finalize its budget proposal at the end of the month and district residents will vote on the proposed budget on May 21 at one of three polling locations.

The district is proposing a tax levy below its cap through decreases in costs related to retirement benefits and a moderate increase in its non-tax source revenue.

During his presentation, Dr. Leach said that revenue from non-tax sources, such as tuition paid for high school students who reside in the Greenwood Lake Central School District as well as the rental of the Kings and Pine Island Elementary Schools, is projected to increase by 7.9 percent.

The district anticipates a state aid increase of only a tenth of a percent, he said.

Voters will also consider a proposition to purchase six school buses at a maximum cost of $607,380.67. The district would use $350,000 of its bus reserve fund to help offset the cost. About 58 percent of the cost – $350,208 – would be returned to the district in state transportation aid. Therefore, no additional taxes would be needed to purchase the buses.