Millbrook’s school budget under the tax levy limit

MILLBROOK — Superintendent of Schools Lloyd Jaeger presented the 2013-14 draft budget during the Board of Education (BOE) meeting on Wednesday, March 21, at the Millbrook Middle School. “This is not just any budget this year, it is the first year of a new era in New York state school finance with respect to how schools will be funded,” said Jaeger during his PowerPoint presentation. “There are regulations governing the discretion that school boards have and all public municipalities have in the development of budgets for their public.”The New York state tax levy cap is a challenge for all municipalities and school districts in the state this year, however Jaeger said Millbrook is making a budget that will set the foundation for a sustainable future.Millbrook Central School District (MCSD) revenue and resources for students will be defined by the limitations coming from the state level. They are also limited by the ability to ask the public for additional funding, Jaeger said.The superintendent in a budget development overview focused on the external forces that are influencing the fiscal plan. Jaeger said new state tax levy calculation regulations and flat state aid would have a significant impact. In addition there are more state education mandates (SED) than ever before that must be implemented. Those mandates will “include what will be known as the common core curriculum, particularly in language arts and mathematics to begin with, but eventually in all subject disciplines,” said Jaeger. The district is also working to fund and maintain necessary and appropriate human and fiscal resources to invest in. This includes mandated programs, upkeep to facilities and providing increasingly enriched and differentiated 21st century learning environments, said Jaeger. The superintendent said each year when formulating the budget they must begin with the potential revenue.“Governor Cuomo has been very rigorous as a governor in articulating his vision for what state funding there will be for all kinds of programs, including public school,” Jaeger said. “The initial governor’s budget that was announced for Millbrook allocates a $15,000 reduction in state aid for Millbrook in the calculations. There is currently debate going on in Albany about a discretionary approximate $200 million that may be reallocated to public schools in some fashion. I don’t know if that will benefit Millbrook or not.” MCSD expects to see revenue from the Federal Jobs Grant, which expired in 2011-12. The two-year federal grant was voted by the Obama legislation to create and sustain new jobs in the district. Since the grant has expired the district will absorb the staff within the current budget. The tax levy limit calculation is at 2.86 percent generating potential revenue of $603,780.“I am pleased to report that I am going to be presenting a budget this evening that will provide all of our instructional programs and student services and maintain our current staffing levels,” said Jaeger.The draft budget also includes student access to all athletics, retention of current staffing levels and the continuation of all instructional programs and services. The draft budget that Jaeger presented will continue curriculum improvement and alignment mandates, technology integration for students and staff, testing and data analysis with response to intervention, literacy and math focus and building level and data inquiry teams.Jaeger presented a budget comparison of the approved 2011-12 budget compared to the 2012-13, draft budget. The budget increase over the previous year in 2011-12 was $688,399 and 2012-13 is $683,481. The budget-to-budget percent increase for 2011-12 is 2.75 percent and 2012-13 is 2.66 percent. The approved budget of 2011-12, tax levy increase is 3.96 percent increase and the draft budget is a 2.85 percent increase. Making a total budget comparison of $25,686,794 budget for 2011-12 and a 26,370,272, draft budget for 2012-13.Jaeger discussed the tax levy limit calculation impact on the budget.“It’s a part of New York state law, each district has a unique calculation,” said Jaeger. “As one looks at public reporting in the news media otherwise, expect to see each district’s tax levy limit be unique onto itself because of exceptions that can be taken with exclusions. This allows for a tax levy that exceeds or is above 2 percent. The law that was frequently spoken about last year was a tax cap at 2 percent, that’s an inaccurate statement. It is a tax levy limit uniquely calculated by each district.”MCSD’s initial tax levy limit calculation presented in January and February was 2.55 percent with potential revenue of $538,335. Jaeger said MCSD’s actual 2012-13 tax levy limit is 2.86 percent with potential revenue of $603,780.Jaeger said that the MCSD made budget adjustments since the initial January and February draft in a variety of areas, including lower salaries due to four teachers’ retirements, fewer special education students and money saved through capital expenditures.Another highlight is the continuation of the 2011-12 administration. Other highlights include support for the staff and students and programs for technology equipment, Project Lead The Way (PLTW), curriculum and training. “We are in a draft budget stage, said Jaeger. “Our tax levy limit is 2.86 percent we purposing a draft budget this evening slightly lower than that at 2.85 percent. However it is at the board’s deliberation and discretion of our budget development ahead that we don’t have to do that but look at something less.”The board is not required to make any changes to the draft budget. Jaeger said the draft budget presented is lower than previous budgets for the past 10 years. The board will have some time to review the draft budget, and another BOE was scheduled for Monday, March 26, after this paper’s deadline.“We have a very purposeful budget because we are able to renew the commitment and extend the commitment to our evolving program,” said Jaeger. “I think Millbrook is remarkable in that it’s able to be resilient in spite of having multiple years in having lost state aid, but a consistent budget in that for four years in row we’ve had modest, low budget to budget growth for this community while being sensitive to our tax payers.”