School district to hold budget work session Wednesday

PINE PLAINS — The Board of Education will hold a budget work session on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. in the Stissing Mountain High School library to discuss and develop the school district’s budget for the 2008-09 school year.

District Superintendent Linda Kaumeyer said she encourages members of the community to attend the meeting.

"If they have an interest in any particular program that they would like to see continued, they should come to the work session," Kaumeyer said. "The budget depends on what the state budget will be and we are anxiously awaiting it. The state budget affects state aid to public schools."

The 2007-08 budget for the school district, which was approved by voters last May by 372 votes for and 283 against, is set at $24,540,400. The amount represents a 5.58 percent increase from the 2006-07 budget of $23,248,256.

Catherine Parsons, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and pupil personnel services for the district, said that the district has been reviewing its expenses for this year carefully.

"We have been working hard to create a budget that will enhance our current programs," Parsons said. "We want to put something together so we can present something to the board that will accurately reflect what the district’s needs are to effectively run programs in the district. We are trying to remain optimistic about the state’s budget."

On Tuesday morning, Governor Eliot Spitzer proposed a $124.3 billion budget to the state Legislature that includes a 7.5 percent average increase of aid. However, the budget has yet to be voted on and it has yet to be determined on how the budget will impact the local school districts.