Spencerport adopts school budget and bus proposal

The Spencerport School Board has unanimously adopted a 2004-05 budget proposal of $55,059,917 and approved a bus proposition that will restore activity buses and allow for an earlier dismissal time for elementary students. The budget is projected to increase 3.94 percent with an estimated tax rate increase of 3.24 percent.

The budget retains academic program stability and provides additions primarily in the area of teaching staff. Based on the recommendation of the budget advisory committee, the district will add three part-time elementary reading recovery teachers and two full-time schoolwide enrichment positions at the elementary and middle school. The reading teachers will allow full implementation of Reading Recovery, a program to help struggling young readers. Schoolwide Enrichment is a district initiative that provides support to classroom teachers to create lessons and activities that challenge and inspire all learners.

As part of the budget process, the district needed to factor in the loss of $1.5 million in planned tax revenue from a reduction in Heidelberg's property tax assessment for its Manitou Road facility. Several new budget initiatives were eliminated to meet the proposed spending plan. The district's communication specialist position was reduced from a full-time to part-time position. The district also decided against funding boys' varsity lacrosse in the 2004-05 school year, although the junior varsity program will be added to the district budget. Original plans called for district funding of boys' varsity lacrosse in the 2005-06 year, but the proposal was presented a year earlier.

With the addition of Canal View Elementary School and the move of sixth graders to Cosgrove Middle School, new bus schedules were created that resulted in elementary buses that did not depart until 4 p.m. with some students not reaching their destinations until 4:40 p.m. To address that issue and to restore before- and after-school activity buses, the board approved a bus proposition that will seek approval to purchase four additional buses. The district also will be authorized to spend additional costs for drivers and vehicle operating expenses. "The additional buses will allow us to dismiss elementary students earlier, eliminate afternoon shuttle buses between the school buildings and to restore activity buses for such activities. Most children will arrive at their destination between 3:55 and 4:10 p.m., with the last drop-off between 4:15 and 4:20 p.m.," Superintendent of Schools Phillip Langton said. "School elementary arrival times will remain unchanged. Cosgrove Middle School will start 5 minutes earlier and dismiss 5 minutes earlier."

The proposal states that the bus proposition is contingent on approval of the district budget.

Langton will be addressing budget questions throughout the community in the next few weeks. There will be a community-wide budget hearing and board candidate information night on May 11 at 7 p.m. at the Administration Building.

The budget vote will be on May 18 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will be three voting locations: Munn Elementary School at 2333 Manitou Road; Taylor Elementary School at 399 Ogden Parma Town Line Road; and the Administration Building at 71 Lyell Avenue.