Garden City BOE unanimously
adopts 2015-16 budget
At their April 22 public meeting the Garden City Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt their 2015-16 school district budget for voter approval on May 19. From here, it’s in the community’s hands, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen.
“The board faces a steep challenge every year, and that is to find that right balance of the interests, needs, and values of our community and students and that fact that our community resources are not infinite,” he said. “The board approaches this with great diligence and we’ve been working on this budget as a group since February…the board has scrutinized every aspect of it.”
The final 2015-16 budget for the Garden City School District comes in at $110,158,627, which represents an increase of $751,489 over the previous year’s spending plan. The projected tax levy increase is set at .67 percent, which is also the maximum amount allowable.
Feirsen noted that the low budget-to-budget increase was in part due to lower contributions to the Teacher Pension Fund than in previous years. The 2015-16 budget includes expansions in curriculum and instruction, as well as expansion of the district’s technology in the areas of support and hardware.
Another factor affecting next year’s budget was state aid or rather, the lack thereof. Clearing up misconceptions that the amount of state aid to the Garden City School District would be substantially increased for 2015-16, Feirsen noted that the actual amount of the bump would only be $267,108, and even that would come with strings attached he said.
“The state budget agreement between the legislature and Governor Cuomo ties that increase to the approval of a new District Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plan,” he said. “That plan places more emphasis on high-stakes testing and includes other mandated provisions, and if we don’t come up with a new APPR plan that’s approved by the state by Nov. 15—which is a very short time period —that increase is in jeopardy.”
Another item on the ballots for voters to consider on May 19 is the possible establishment of a Capital Reserve Fund; essentially a savings account that the school district could draw upon for important capital improvement projects that would not affect the amount of the budget or taxes paid by residents, Feirsen said.
“We plan to establish a fund with a target of $10 million, accrued over time through a combination of budget efficiencies, unanticipated revenues and excess reserves,” he said. “This is a way to reduce our potential debt by providing a savings account…therefore we don’t have to utilize operating funds, cut services or raise taxes.”
Feirsen urged all Garden City residents to come out to cast their ballots on May 19, stating that each and every one of their votes are important to getting the school’s budget and other measures passed; in the event that the budget does not meet with voter approval, a substantial cut in the amount of $2.5 million would have to be made to next year’s spending plan—known as a “Contingent Budget”—that would ultimately lead to the reduction of programs and activities for students.
“Our current budget is under the tax levy cap, and it preserves and extends the academic program that prepares our students for college, while providing additional funding for music, clubs and athletics,” he said. “Despite all that, I’m worried, that we won’t get a big turnout on May 19…it’s important that our community vote, so please come out between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. at the high school gymnasium and make your voices heard.”
