New Budget Information
Eldred Central School District Projects 5.54% Tax Rate Decrease
On March 29th, 2007, the Eldred Central School District's, Board of Education, unanimously adopted
a $15,731,576 budget which, if approved by the taxpayers on May 15, 2007, will decrease the tax rate by a projected 5.54%
while increasing the overall tax levy by 1.08%. The overall budget will increase spending by $1,894,876 or 13.69%.
The estimated decrease in the tax rate will be $0.8142 per $1,000 or a decrease of $81.42 for a $100,000 of assessed value.
Increases for the 2007 – 2008 budget include:
1) Heating Oil, Diesel, & Gasoline $ 44,377
2) School Bus Purchases
$ 255,000
3) BOCES Services $ 514,507
The official start to the 2007-2008 budget season began in early December 2006. Teachers began
the budgeting process by looking at the needs for the 2007-2008 school year. Building administrators then took that
information and worked with the teachers to come up with a budget that reflected the educational needs of the school district.
Administrators and teachers had to make difficult choices in finalizing their budgets. The collective
goal was to continue the current program of studies without making program cuts.
The budget was formally presented to the public at a workshop on March 1st, 2007. The purpose
of this workshop was to give the public a budget overview of version 1 of the proposed budget.
Version 1 began as a 9.92% increase over the 2006-2007 budget. Version 2 (the final version),
ended with a 13.69% increase over the 2006-2007 budget. The reason for the difference between version 1 and version
2 were:
Purchase of School Buses Added to Budget
Final BOCES costs were applied
Addition Special Education Expenditure
The budget season continued with a workshop on March 8th, 2007. The purpose of this meeting
was to update the budget and to review the Administrative Component (central administration, school administration, business
office, salaries and benefits, materials, supplies and contractual obligations) of the budget.
On March 15th, 2007, the Capital Component of the budget (debt service, operations and maintenance)
and the Transportation Budget was reviewed.
On March 22nd, 2007 the final budget workshop took place, the Program Component (instruction
and special education) was reviewed.
On March 29th, 2007, the Board of Education adopted version 2 of the budget. The estimated
spending contained in version 2 represents the district’s best effort to balance educational needs with available
resources.
The amount of revenue to be raised by taxes represents an increase of $105,877 or a 1.08% increase.
This does not mean that an individual’s school tax is going up 1.08%. The estimated decrease
in the individual tax rate is 5.54%
The value of property in the school district has increased so the tax levy is spread over a larger
tax base, resulting in a lower individual tax rate increase. If the tax levy was compared to a pie, each piece of that
pie (the tax rate) would be smaller but the size of the entire pie would not change (tax levy).
The Board of Education has done its due diligence in presenting a well-balanced budget that provides
for the fiscal stability of the school district while keeping an eye on the fiscal capacity of the taxpayers.
On May 7th, 2007, a budget hearing and a “Meet the Candidates” forum will take place at
the Junior-Senior High School. This will be an opportunity for the community to meet the candidate(s) running for one
available board seat. Additionally, the community will be presented with current budget information by School Business
Manager, William Thornton. Mr. Thornton will outline the budget that was adopted by the Board of Education.
Having an on time state budget (the third one in 20+ years) has allowed the school district to
give the public a more accurate accounting of the state aid that the school district will receive. However, the school
district cannot predict what the exact tax rate will be because critical information on equalization rates and final tax rolls
are not reported to us until August. As a result, the projected tax rate decrease of 5.54% is conservative.
How much we will get in additional revenue will depend on the growth in our local housing market for the past year.
If the tax base increases, as a result of housing growth, the tax rate will decrease.
The budget vote and school board elections will take place on May 15th, 2007, from 11:00 AM through
9:00 PM at the Eldred Junior-Senior High School.
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ELDRED CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
2007 - 2008
TENTATIVE BUDGET CALENDAR
Date
Location
March 1, 2007
Budget Workshop
Budget Overview
7:30 PM Jr/Sr High School
March 8, 2007
Budget Overview (Before Regular Meeting)
Administrative Component
7:30 PM Jr/Sr High School
March
15, 2007 Budget
Workshop
Capital Component and Transportation
7:30 PM Jr/Sr High School
March 22, 2007
Budget Workshop
Program Component
7:30 PM Jr/Sr High School
March 29, 2007
Budget Workshop
Budget Overview and Revenue Projection
7:30 PM Jr/Sr High School
April 17, 2007
Special Meeting
Adoption
of BOCES Budget
6:00 PM District Office
April 19, 2007 Regular
Meeting
Budget
Adoption
7:30
PM Mackenzie Elementary School
May 7, 2007
Bugdet Hearing
7:30 PM Jr/Sr High School
May 15, 2007
Budget Vote
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Jr/Sr High School
