S-GI Board of Education adopts budget on April 17

The Springville Griffith Board of Education adopted the S-GI school budget in the amount of $33,889,410 at its meeting on April 17. That includes a proposed property tax levy of 2.39 percent, which does not exceed the school tax levy formula as set by the New York state comptroller. The tax levy will therefore not require a 60 percent voter supermajority to pass.

This budget will include the reduction of 34.4 positions. A full list of the various reductions and adjustments as reported so far can be found on the district website at www.springvillegi.org.

The upcoming school year budget is 6.3 percent lower than the 2011-12 budget, which came in at $36,166,220. Enrollment has declined 2.18 percent district-wide since last year.

S-GI Business Administrator Ted Welch said that the reason the budget has decreased from last year is because the district is attempting to match revenues with expenditures.

“We lost a lot in state aid and what we’re able to collect through property taxes,” Welch said. “We use the term right-size a lot and we are right-sizing this year, not only in enrollment and class sizes, but funding, as well.”

According to the 2012-13 property tax report card prepared by Welch, the S-GI District will carry an adjusted restricted fund balance of $3,890,227, an assigned appropriated fund balance of $1,500,000 and an adjusted unrestricted fund balance of $1,355,576, for a total of 4 percent of the budget. School districts have a statutory cap on the unappropriated portion of the fund balance, which requires that number to remain at or less than 4 percent of the current school year budget.

Welch explained that, since the budgeted amount for 2012-13 is less, the amount of reserves the district is allowed to keep in its “savings account” is also less. “If we have any extra money, we’re going to look at restocking those reserves,” he said, in reference to how the district plans to prepare itself for its financial future.

In other board news:

- The board approved the placement of students as recommended by the committees on special education and preschool special education.

- The business of music class fundraiser, “Performance of Cocca’s Big Band,” with proceeds’ to benefit the Michael Ottaviano Scholarship Fund and the S-GI music and art departments, was approved.

- A resolution to authorize the S-GI School District to participate with other school districts in the Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus County BOCES in the joint bidding of commodities, as authorized by general municipal law, was approved.

- A resolution passed approving Erie 2 BOCES services to be provided to the district during the 2012-13 school year.

- The bid submitted by WCB Systems, LLC for the purchase and installation of a bus wash system for the bus garage, was awarded to that company.

- Four individuals were voted to fill the available seats on the Erie 2 BOCES Board of Education: Anne Ehrlich, Gary DeLillis, Nancy Stock and Nancy Renckens.

The board will hold its next regular meeting and the public hearing on the budget on May 8 at 7 p.m. in the high school library media center.