During its meeting on April 9, the Spencerport School Board of Education adopted a 2013-14 budget proposal, which totals $71.8 million and projects a 2.2 percent tax rate increase.
The expenditure plan, which will be presented to voters on Tuesday, May 21, includes a:
•projected tax rate (actually finalized in August) of $24.39 per $1,000 of assessed home value, an increase of $0.53 per $1,000
•tax levy of $34.2 million, an increase of 2.75 percent, which is less than the maximum allowable tax levy with exclusions
Superintendent Michael Crumb stated in a press release that the proposed budget responds to the feedback provided from the community through previous exit polls and the volunteers serving on the Budget Focus Group to maintain academic programs and the multi-year approach to the use of reserves. The proposal also complies with the tax levy limit law – now in its second year.
“Every year we face unique circumstances, and this year our budget development was impacted by the rate increases in the employee pension system and health benefits,” Crumb said. “If we removed those uncontrolled rates, our budget-to-budget increase would be less than 1 percent.
To mitigate those costs, Crumb has recommended the dissolution of the property loss reserve ($813,190) to apply to the taxpayer levy, and ear-marking a portion of state aid revenue toward the tax levy. Crumb also was quoted on the press release as stating: “We have also been able to hold expenses within our control through trend line data, efficiencies, sustainable staff agreements, attrition and community partnerships such as the new fuel agreements we have with the Town of Ogden and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.”
The 2013-14 vote will also request voter approval on Propositions 2 and 3 respectively to:
•expend $323,894 from the capital reserve for the replacement of 10 school buses and 4 motor vehicles. This amount is applied to offset the non-reimbursed local taxpayer share for these vehicles, with no impact to the tax levy.
•create a new capital reserve for technology and classroom equipment. Voters are asked to approve the establishment of this fund to be used much like the capital reserve for bus replacement. This reserve may be funded in the future with end-of-year fund balance.
