Board wants best 'bang for its buck'

The District 30 Board of Education is considering a spending plan that would raise the tax levy 1.36 percent next year. The board will likely adopt its proposed 2010-11 budget in March, then send it to voters in May.

The tentative $31.4 million budget would be a 2.7 percent increase over the current year. Ed Cullen, District 30’s assistant superintendent for business, said the proposal doesn’t include any cuts. “The budget maintains the programs,” he said.

In January, the Board of Education received a proposed budget from the administration that increased spending by 3.57 percent and would have raised taxes by 2.28 percent. Board members decided that was too high.

“We wanted to go as low as we possibly could given the conditions were are facing now,” President Ken Cummings said. “The board is trying to get as much bang for its buck and trying to maintain programs as much as possible.”

Cullen said administrators went through the budget line-by-line and analyzed how much money would be needed in each area. He explained that reductions were made by setting less money aside for unanticipated expenses.

Most of the $824,000 budget increase is from insurance, retirement system, social security, debt service and workers compensation costs, as well at the MTA payroll tax.

The budget plan anticipates $5.25 million in state aid, which Cullen said is 96 percent of what is included in the governor’s proposed budget. He said because of the state’s current financial crisis, district officials do not want to count on receiving every dollar of aid, and also be prepared for a possible mid-year funding cut.

It also uses $1.7 million from surplus funds. Cullen said the board does have the option to use some money from its workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance reserve funds, though he is not recommending that.

Board trustee Maria Fletcher said she wants to make sure the district has a healthy reserve fund. She said while next year’s budget situation is bad, the following year is expected to be even worse. She said there needs to be money available to help soften the tax impact in 2011-12. “It’s a very, very sad state of affairs right now in Albany,” she said.