For additional information, please see our budget page.
Unadilla Valley CSD will present a $24 million proposed budget for the 2023-24 school year to voters on Tuesday, May 16.
The fiscal plan includes an overall 2.30 percent increase in expenditures - or $542,133 - from the current year. Under state law, it must be a balanced budget. To accomplish this, the district is proposing a tax levy increase of 2.29 percent and is budgeting for a 4.00 percent increase in state aid.
A public hearing on the budget proposal was held immediately after the 6 p.m. regular meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday, May 9.
Three Board of Education seats will also be on the ballot, along with a proposition to lease four school buses and fund the South New Berlin Library. Voting is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m., on Tuesday, May 16 in Storm Alley at the District Office entrance of the school building.
The proposed budget includes a 2.29 percent change in the tax levy, which meets the state’s tax levy limit. In dollars, the tax levy would increase by $106,107 to be spread across all taxable parcels in the district.
“This budget is about controlling costs in an environment where there are many things we have no control over,” Superintendent Brenton S. Taylor said.
These include the costs of energy, materials and supplies in the marketplace, as well as state-mandates to schools.
“This was as low as we could go with the tax levy without impacting student programming,” Mr. Taylor said. “2.3 percent is a modest change in an economy where we, as families and households, are contending with sustained inflation.”
The Consumer Price Index at the time of the final development of the budget was 6.5 percent. This is a standard measure of inflation.
Unadilla Valley has seen an 11 percent increase in electricity costs and is anticipating contractual wage increases. District contributions for the Teacher Retirement System and the Employee Retirement System are projected to increase 9.8 and 12.1 percent respectively.
There is a $600,000 increase projected in the area of special education. This is being driven by BOCES placements, additional non-instructional staff to support students; and tuition for out-of-district placements.
The proposed budget includes funding for the same level of instructional staff as the current school year.
One of the key areas the district will continue to place resources is in the area of student needs.
“It is all related. If a student is not healthy and happy; if they are struggling with behavior or emotional regulation; they will struggle with academic success,” Mr. Taylor said.
In addition to supporting the social-emotional needs of students, the district is looking to improve what it is already doing in classrooms. Part of that effort is closely monitoring staffing levels.
“We are focusing on strengthening existing programs and making sure we have appropriate staffing, while planning ahead for retirements,” Mr. Taylor said. “There are positions we didn’t fill last year because we didn’t have applicants.”
The budget includes a $100,000 Capital Outlay project that will focus on renovations to the school building.
Tax Levy Limit
The tax levy limit, while sometimes referred to as a “2 percent tax cap,” is set through a state-mandated formula and will often be higher or lower than 2 percent based on the individual circumstances of each district. For the 2023-24 school year, Unadilla Valley’s tax levy limit is 2.29 percent.
The Board of Education is choosing to present a budget that matches this limit to be prepared for inflationary increases in fuel costs, materials and supplies, as well as meet the academic and social-emotional needs of our students.
When a district’s proposed budget matches the tax levy limit, it must be approved by a simple majority of voters.
This year's tax levy limit was set at a point that is nearly two thirds less than the rate of inflation. Out of the last ten budgets, including this year's proposal, the Board of Education has set a tax levy change that is less than the rate of inflation.
Board of Education Election
There will be three open seats on the Board of Education. They include seats currently held by Victoria Gregory, Daniel Naughton and Richard Potter who are running for re-election. There are no other candidates.
District Plans School Bus Lease
A proposition is on the ballot to authorize the lease of four school buses at a maximum estimated total annual cost not to exceed $104,000 for each of five years. The lease would be remimbursible by state aid at a rate of 90 percent
Library Proposition
New York State law allows public libraries to use the occasion of a school budget vote to seek public funding. The South New Berlin Library is seeking a total tax levy of $51,500, which is a $1,500 increase from the $50,000 previously approved by voters. The library operates independently from the school district.