State Aid Drop, Higher Special Ed Costs Putting District in a Bind
By David Avitabile
SCHOHARIE - Schoharie school board members and officials are waiting for final state aid figures and spending costs before deciding on the effects of the 2024-25 budget.
SCS Business Administrator David Baroody presented a tentative budget at last Thursday's board meeting that holds a 2.45 percent or $208,323 in the tax levy increase. This first preliminary amount "can change a lot," Mr. Baroody said, as details were finalized.
The biggest reason for the hike is a cut in foundation aid, he added. The first "runs" from the governor showed a decrease of $133,000 in state aid for Schoharie. SCS normally gets a foundation aid hike of three percent, or $253,000 for this year. This is an adjustment of $386,000 that the district has to make up unless the aid is restored by the state legislature in the final state budget.
Superintendent David Blanchard sees some relief coming, but not the full shot.
It will not be zero percent but it will not be three percent, he told board members.
"It's a very tricky time. It's really concerning. We'll continue to be creative," Superintendent Blanchard added.
He expects the state legislature to approve a small increase in fundamental state aid. There was "not a lot of appetite for what the Governor proposed" for state aid, Superintendent Blanchard said.
There could be a movement toward keeping state aid increases at zero to minimal, he added.
He told board members to "prepare for 'safe harmless' for the long-term," meaning years of little to no increases in state aid. SCS has been able to increase its enrollment so the district may see small state aid increases.
In addition to the loss in state aid, spending could be going up, Mr. Baroody told board members.
The budget draft showed an increase of 4,37 percent or $1.171 million to $27.991,047. The biggest factors in the spending hike are tuition of special needs students, health insurance, both medical and prescription, employee benefits, and debt service.
In the last three years, about 20 high-needs students have moved into the district, each of whom requires out-of-district transportation.
Superintendent Blanchard said 20 high-needs students in three years is "really significant."
He noted that the district has been able to cut in-district bus runs to eight because of dual runs since the pandemic. Unfortunately, the number of out-of-district runs has increased to 12 to take students to the Capital District.
Costs to be finalized are BOCES, health insurance, student service costs, and energy costs, Mr. Baroody said.
Board members are scheduled to adopt a 2024-25 budget on April 18 and the public vote will be on May 14.
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