Voters set for May 15

The Hilton Board of Education voted unanimously (7-0) to adopt the proposed Superintendent's $45.7 million 2001-02 budget proposal at their meeting April 10. The budget proposal represents a spending increase of 5.49 percent over last year, according to district officials.

Among the strengths of the budget proposal are: continued support for the district's Academic Intervention Services to help students struggling to meet the standards; containment of tax increases; restoration of the waning fund balance, the beginning of a five-year plan; a re-engineered budgetary process which better reflects expenditure trends; no staffing reductions other than those occurring through attrition; the need to include more data management by creating a 'teacher on special assignment' position; addressing English Language Arts Task Force recommendations for staffing including a Study Skills Seminar program for middle schoolers; and containment of the BOCES service requests reflecting a 10 percent decrease. "On the revenue side, we are basing our projections on a modified governor's budget, the most conservative estimate," said Assistant Superintendent for Business Steven Ayers. "Instructional costs are up primarily due to continued escalation in benefits costs (20 percent increase over last year) which account for 47 percent of the total budget increase as well as increased special education cost which is seeing a 20 percent growth rate in the cost of private placements," Ayers said.

While the proposed state aid increase to the Hilton School District provided by the Governor's Budget is 3.16 percent, offsetting the projected tax rate impact of about 9.8 percent for each of the district's four towns, is the final phase-in of the STAR Program, the state's tax relief program for all homeowners.

"This year, 2001, is the third and final year for the STAR phase-in," Ayers said. "There was a $10,000 reduction the first year; $20,000 the second year and that will be up to $30,000 this year. A home of average assessment in the district ($100,000) would expect a net tax reduction of $62 after STAR, a decrease of 3.98 percent."

Hilton voters will go to the polls Tuesday, May 15 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. to vote on the budget proposal as well as three open positions on the Board of Education.

For further budget information, call the Business Office at 392-1000 ext. 7033/7034.