First Version of MCS Budget $723G More Than Year's Plan

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - Middleburgh school board members started their work on the 2024-25 budget last week at the first budget workshop Wednesday night.

School business manager Robyn Bhend detailed a "rollover" budget last week that retains the current personnel, with a few additions in other areas.

The first draft of the proposed budget stands at $25.03 million, about $722,779 or 2.97 percent more than the current budget. The 2023-24 budget is $24.3 million, which was $501,000 or 2.1 percent more than the prior year. She noted that in the first draft of the 2023-24 spending plan, the increase over the prior year stood at $910,000 or 3.8 percent budget, eventually reduced.

Ms. Bhend said that several of the current costs, such as teachers' retirement system and health insurance, may be lower when the final rates are determined in the spring, thereby decreasing the budget total.

She told board members that the hike in teachers' retirement system costs could be 20.25 percent and that the final rate will be determined in late February. Health insurance and prescription rates may climb by as much as 20 percent each, she added. Salaries are set top increase by about 2.27 percent.

Additional costs in the budget include: funding the elementary after-school program, $300,000; college in the high school program, $15,000; and increase in field trips, $10,000. The funding for the very successful after-school program, run by the Schoharie River Center, has been funded by grants which end in June.

In addition to the budget, voters in May will be casting ballots on a bus purchase proposition, based on the district bus replacement plan. There may be a new reserve account proposed for the future purchase of electric buses, which are more expensive than gas or diesel buses. A repair reserve for $200,000 would also be on the ballot, along with two school board seats.