BOE presents budget

PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains Central School District (PPCSD) Board of Education (BOE) met for a regular business meeting on Wednesday, April 1.Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Michael Goldbeck presented the district’s proposed draft budget for the 2015-16 school year.The current draft budget is $29,328,656 — an $811,252 or 2.84 percent increase from last year.If the proposed budget remains unchanged, the total tax levy will be $21,612,335 — a $298,393 or 1.4 percent increase from last year — which will meet the state’s property tax cap law.Goldbeck examined the budget’s three components: administrative, program and capital.The proposed administrative budget would increase 2.82 percent (or by $87,426) to $3,191,828, including an 11.34 percent increase in BOE expenses and a 15.34 percent decrease in central services (such as postage and newsletter costs).Goldbeck specified the BOE costs as the board clerk’s salary and a “new policy service.”The proposed program budget would increase 2.74 percent (or by $620,384) to $23,259,852.This component includes a 9.84 percent decrease in occupational education costs due to fewer needed seats and a 10.25 percent increase in pupil services for a new guidance position. The proposed capital budget would increase 3.73 percent (or by $103,442) to $2,876,976, with a 3.45 percent increase to operations and maintenance and a 5.29 percent increase in employee benefits.State aid and other non-tax revenues are projected at $6,647,911. Aside from the tax levy, remaining revenues are projected to come from penalties and interest on taxes, use of reserves and appropriated fund balance. The budget is subject to change before the board votes to adopt it on Tuesday, April 21.If passed by the board, the budget will go to the taxpayers on Tuesday, May 19, along with the election of three BOE members and voter propositions.Seats occupied by Heidi Johnson, Debra Lewis and Sue Reilly expire this year. It hasn’t been made public yet as to who will be running for those board seats.Voter propositions are for three small and two large buses at a total cost of $353,346, and use of $820,058 from the district’s Capital Reserve to fund construction of the bus maintenance facility project that was approved last year.The district anticipates purchasing buses without the need for borrowing. Approval of the second proposition will enable the district to fully fund construction of the bus maintenance facility without borrowing.