Spencerport sets timeline for
decisions on 2003-04 school budget

Spencerport Superintendent Phillip W. Langton is preparing a list of potential program reductions to present to the Spencerport School Board at its February 25 meeting. The list is a result of the governor's state budget proposal, which calls for a $2.1 million cut in state aid for Spencerport Schools.

"We will have to make significant cuts in programs and services in order to build a fiscally responsible budget for next school year," says Langton. "And even with that, there will be a tax increase." The estimated tax increase won't be known until late March or early April, when the board approves the proposed budget. "In all my years in education, I've never seen a financial situation this grave," Langton adds.

The school board will review Langton's non-prioritized list of possible cuts on February 25. The board meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building, 71 Lyell Avenue.

At the March 11 board meeting, Langton will present his recommendations on program reductions for the board to review. Then, the board expects to approve a proposed budget at the March 25 meeting. Both of those meetings also begin at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building.

For information about this year's budget challenges, community residents can contact Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business, at 349-5111 or fseiler@spencerportschools.org or Phillip Langton, Superintendent of Schools, at 349-5101 or plangton@spencerportschools.org.