The Frankfort-Schuyler Central School Board of Education held a public hearing on Tuesday to present the proposed 2008-09 budget.
The adopted version of the budget calls for a 4.85 percent increase from last year, and an estimated tax levy increase of 1.99 percent for residents of the towns of Frankfort and Schuyler.
In the town of Frankfort, for a home assessed for $70,000 with a STAR exemption, the total tax increase will be approximately $19, according to information provided at the hearing.
In the town of Schuyler under the same criteria the tax increase is approximately $16.
STAR being the New York State School Tax Relief Program responsible for tax rebates and exemptions.
The tentative tax rates per $1,000 of assessed value, an estimate based on information available regarding assessed value and equalization rates, for Frankfort is 24.29 and for Schuyler is 20.19.
State aid to the district, which is not final, is also a determining factor for the projected tax rates.
The rate compared to last year is an increase of 0.56 for Frankfort and a decrease of 1.23 for Schuyler.  
The district received tentative numbers as far as the assessment and equalization on May 1, but will not have concrete numbers until August after a grievance period has lapsed, according to Christopher Abdoo, business manager.
“We will be very very close.” said Abdoo.
A. Eugene Snyder, of Schuyler, asked the board about an increase in BOCES charges and its effects on local resources for the schools.
Abdoo said the major cause of the increase is the third and final year of a transfer of post-retirement benefits costs to the administrative portion of the BOCES budget.
Some of the costs are offset by decreases in tuition and savings from sending students to BOCES. Savings resulting from not having to create in-house services or placing them in Mohawk and Ilion districts, according to Abdoo.
“Special education is very volatile, something that is not easily predicted.” said Abdoo.
Board members reminded Snyder that Frankfort-Schuyler voted down the BOCES budget.
The district was the only one of 12 member districts to not approve the budget, which met its majority requirement to move forward.
Snyder also asked what the cost is per student for BOCES services.
With many different levels of services and programs needed, it is required to do individual assessments, according to Superintendent Robert Reina.
Abdoo said he would get the information requested.
The average totals provided at the hearing stated that the general education expenditures per pupil for Frankfort-Schuyler is $7,228 and per special education pupil is $18,811.
Similar districts expenditures for general education per pupil is $8,399 and special education is $21,475.
The NY State average is $9,168 for general and $22,354 for special education.
The budget and board election votes will be held Tuesday, May 20 from noon to 8 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.
If the budget is not approved the board will adopt a contingency budget that requires additional cuts in the amount of $333,269, being based on a formula determined by law, according to the information at the hearing.