What happened at this week’s Board of Ed meeting?
Can the district bridge a $2 million budget gap? The administration proposed a way to do it.
In yet another marathon meeting, last more than four hours, the Board shared plans to close a budget gap of more than $2 million. What follows is an outline of the proposal the administration made to the district - more to come shortly.
Budget Study Session #2: Key Updates and Discussions
On Monday, March 3rd,, the Scarsdale Board of Education convened for its second budget study session, with all board members present, alongside Superintendent Dr. Patrick and members of his cabinet. The session provided an opportunity for the community to engage in discussions about the district's budget planning process.
The meeting commenced with a brief recap of the budget process for those new to the discussions. The preliminary budget, initially presented on February 3rd, required modifications to address a $2 million gap. Through updated revenue assumptions and expenditure reductions, the administration drew up a revised budget that aligns with the tax cap level.
Revenue adjustments
The administration introduced the following modification to its revenue projections:
Tax Cap Adjustment: An increase of $64,000 based on the classification of EV bus infrastructure expenditures as capital costs.
Tuition Revenue: An additional $27,000 accounted for through tuition-paying students.
Athletics Program Contributions: A proposal to introduce parental contributions for sports such as squash, fencing, and crew, totaling approximately $50,000, while also exploring ways to optimize costs.
Assigned Fund Balance: An increase of $90,900 for architect, engineering, and construction management pre-referendum costs.
Decreases in expenditures
To balance the budget, several expenditure reductions, totaling about $1.6 million, were proposedThese include:
Contracted Services: A $100,000 reduction in facility contracts, $75,000 in leadership development, and $150,000 in special education-related services.
Salaries and Wages:
A 10% reduction in general education teacher aide hours ($226,000).
Reduction of two full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching positions due to enrollment changes.
Attrition-based elimination of a high school instructional technology specialist position.
Adjustments in wage and cost assumptions contributing to an additional $100,000 in savings.
Employee Benefits: A $250,000 reduction due to updated cost-sharing calculations, plus $51,000 in reductions linked to personnel adjustments.
BOCES Services: A $20,000 reduction in the Garden Program budget and adjustments in special education service costs.
Supplies and Materials: A $40,000 reduction in planned spending on student activities, phased over three years, alongside additional savings in software and professional development.
Significant overall impact
Following these revenue and expenditure modifications, the updated draft budget now stands at $191,504,833, reflecting a 3.55% budget-to-budget increase. The total tax levy is projected at $175,813,222, representing a 3.4% increase over the current year.
The administration also emphasized the importance of maintaining high educational standards while ensuring fiscal responsibility. This included restoring certain positions, such as special education teachers and contingency teaching positions, while strategically reducing others to achieve operational efficiency.
The board will continue to refine the budget in preparation for the next budget study session scheduled for March 10th. Community members are encouraged to provide feedback via email at boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org and participate in upcoming discussions.
For more information and updates, visit the Scarsdale Schools website or attend future budget discussions.