The
following objectives and context were approved by
the BH-BL Board of Education in December 2011.
Budget
Objectives
In developing the 2012-13 budget, the Board of
Education will:
1.
Work to balance
the community’s desire for both excellent school programs
and reasonable taxes by critically evaluating current
practices, proposed expenditures,
and revenue sources other than
taxes.
2.
Ensure that BH-BL
graduates have the skills, knowledge
and attitudes outlined in the
district’s 21st Century Framework
for Learning document, so
that they can compete in a demanding
and technologically sophisticated
global marketplace. The desired
attributes listed in this document
range from high literacy skills to
understanding global and
environmental issues.
3.
Support the
development of new strategies to
compensate for the loss of state aid
and still deliver a comprehensive
education program at a lower cost.
Also, look for more opportunities
where a short term cost can reap
long term benefits and/or savings.
4.
Engage the
community to share their
perspectives and values on school
programs they wish to support with
their tax dollars.
5.
Actively lobby
state legislators to reform
the mandates outside of school
districts’ control that currently
drive up costs in the areas of
instruction, personnel, and
construction.
Context for
Developing the 2012-13 Budget
New York State’s economic problems
continue, and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake taxpayers
are feeling the impact. The ongoing recession and
uncertainty regarding the State’s 2012 budget will
make developing the upcoming school budget
especially difficult.
Below are some factors that will
impact development of the BH-BL budget.
To help gage the impact of the
following factors, 1% of the BH-BL property tax levy
is roughly $343,000. Hence every $343,000 in
additional expense — or lost revenue — that is not
ultimately balanced by new revenue or reductions
elsewhere in the budget results in roughly a 1% tax
levy increase. This is the rough equivalent of seven
full-time staff positions.
1.
Since June 2009 the district
has cut 4 percent of teaching positions,
11 percent of administrative
positions, and 12 percent of support
staff and support supervisory
positions. Further reductions will be difficult
to make without serious impacts on
our students.
2.
New state
regulations on the tax levy "cap”
and contingent budgets could
significantly impact the BH-BL
budget. Many people misunderstand
what these changes mean. We need to
inform residents and staff about the
new regulations and continue to
monitor them as more details are
announced by the state.
3.
BH-BL is fortunate
that our residents by and large
support high quality school
programs when balanced by reasonable
taxes, as is evidenced by the 62
percent passing rate on the May 2011
budget presentation.
4.
After three years
of this unprecedented bad economy,
many district families are stretched
financially. US Census Bureau data
shows that the percentage of BH-BL
families with school-aged children
living in poverty rose from 3
percent in 2007 to 10 percent in
2010.
5.
Unlike many
Suburban Council school districts,
BH-BL has very little commercial
development, and our tax base is 85
- 90% residential.
6.
New York State is
facing a budget deficit of $3
billion or more, and the
federal stimulus money that the
state previously used to help pay
school operating aid has ended.
Knowing this would happen, BH-BL
intentionally set aside the final
$684,000 in federal stimulus money
we received in 2010-11 and held it
for use in 2011-12. the current
inequitable state funding formula
for rural and urban districts makes
it likely that BH-BL will receive
flat or reduced aid when the
Governor makes his budget proposals
in January.
7.
We can expect no
increase in non-tax revenues such as
interest on investments. Medicaid
reimbursements are expected to
continue declining due
to state and federal regulatory
changes.
8.
Required employer
pension contributions are expected
to rise each year for the next
several years.
9.
Additional factors
in developing this budget are
negotiations to create successor
contracts with the BH-BL Teachers
Association and the BH-BL
Administrators Association, plus new
APPR (Annual Professional
Performance Review)
regulations currently being
finalized
by the State Education Department.
10.
The strategy of
increasing the amount of fund
balance / reserve funds applied to
the operating budget each year is
not sustainable.
11.
BH-BL has been
able to lock in competitive rates
for electricity and natural gas by
participating in multi-year,
multi-district consortium contracts
with more than 140 school districts.
We continue to cut our energy costs
with renovations. As we have seen
occur at our other schools, energy
consumption should now decline at
Stevens School due to installation
of a new high-efficiency heating
system there in the summer of 2011.
Other 2011 projects that will create
significant energy savings are the
new high school gym lights,
replacement windows, and pool
dehumidification unit.
