Many lawmakers doubt an on-time state budget will be delivered by April 1, and school district officials are forming their budgets based on the assumption that proposed cuts in aid will remain in place.
For Herkimer school district, the governor’s 2010-11 executive budget cuts close to $625,000 in aid, according to Superintendent Carol Zygo.
And the reduction has board of education members looking at a 6 percent, or $1.2 million, spending increase during its ongoing budget process, she said.
The district’s spending plan last year totaled $18,923,335, which was a 4.71 percent or $850,858 jump. The tax levy last year increased 1.98 percent, or $127,786, bringing the tax rate up 2.58 percent, or 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
Zygo called the spending increase this year “unacceptable,” and said the board and district administrators are looking at “everything.”
“We’re looking at every class, class sizes, courses,” she said in a phone interview.
But there is little room to make cuts, and the school board does not want to lose any of the progress made in recent years, such as art and other course electives. “We don’t want to cut any programs,” Zygo said.
Along with other area school administrators, Zygo said she plans to be involved in meeting with state officials to push for an on-time budget
If there is not any “movement” on the state budget, the board will continue to look at cuts or savings to bring its own budget back to a level that is within reason for taxpayers while meeting educational standards.
“We need to take care of our community, but we can’t do it at the expense of educating our young people,” Zygo said.
Last year, the Herkimer school board cut its first budget attempt by $276,000 to avoid programmatic cuts.
The board eliminated a full-time technology coordinator position to save more than $69,000. The district also didn’t hold elementary summer school, saving $31,000. Another $29,000 was cut by reducing repair and maintenance costs.
School officials also put multi-year purchasing and equipment replacement plans on hold last year, cutting $68,000 from the budget. Computer and general equipment purchasing were among those plans.
Some of the actions taken last year only make finding room to cut this year more difficult, however.
Zygo said the board will be working the next several weeks to lower the budget, and if the state Legislature acts by the deadline, possibly reducing the proposed cuts, further changes may be made.
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Many lawmakers doubt an on-time state budget will be delivered by April 1, and school district officials are forming their budgets based on the assumption that proposed cuts in aid will remain in place.
For Herkimer school district, the governor’s 2010-11 executive budget cuts close to $625,000 in aid, according to Superintendent Carol Zygo.
And the reduction has board of education members looking at a 6 percent, or $1.2 million, spending increase during its ongoing budget process, she said.
The district’s spending plan last year totaled $18,923,335, which was a 4.71 percent or $850,858 jump. The tax levy last year increased 1.98 percent, or $127,786, bringing the tax rate up 2.58 percent, or 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
Zygo called the spending increase this year “unacceptable,” and said the board and district administrators are looking at “everything.”
“We’re looking at every class, class sizes, courses,” she said in a phone interview.
But there is little room to make cuts, and the school board does not want to lose any of the progress made in recent years, such as art and other course electives. “We don’t want to cut any programs,” Zygo said.
Along with other area school administrators, Zygo said she plans to be involved in meeting with state officials to push for an on-time budget
If there is not any “movement” on the state budget, the board will continue to look at cuts or savings to bring its own budget back to a level that is within reason for taxpayers while meeting educational standards.
“We need to take care of our community, but we can’t do it at the expense of educating our young people,” Zygo said.
Last year, the Herkimer school board cut its first budget attempt by $276,000 to avoid programmatic cuts.
The board eliminated a full-time technology coordinator position to save more than $69,000. The district also didn’t hold elementary summer school, saving $31,000. Another $29,000 was cut by reducing repair and maintenance costs.
School officials also put multi-year purchasing and equipment replacement plans on hold last year, cutting $68,000 from the budget. Computer and general equipment purchasing were among those plans.
Some of the actions taken last year only make finding room to cut this year more difficult, however.
Zygo said the board will be working the next several weeks to lower the budget, and if the state Legislature acts by the deadline, possibly reducing the proposed cuts, further changes may be made.
