Glen Cove City School District Plans Budget For Next School Year

The Glen Cove City School District began its 2024-2025 budget presentations to the public during the Board of Education meeting on Jan. 17. The district held the following presentations on Feb. 7 and March 6.
As of press time, the Glen Cove Oyster Bay Record Pilot could not include information presented during the March 6 meeting. An update will be included during the March 13 edition.
The first workshop started with essential details on defining a budget, the tax levy limit, revenue budget and appropriation budget. Currently, the estimated revenue budget is approximately $112.1 million. Only some of the information is available to define a concrete tax levy. The variance from the current year’s budget is roughly $4.1 million,
A new revenue item is a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) from the Livingston project at 135 Glen St., amounting to $102,668.68.
The district is expecting to see an increase in expenses in health insurance (13.5 percent), insurance (18 percent), ERS, also known as the employee retirement system (15 percent) and TRS, also known as the teachers retirement system (10.25 percent.)
At the Feb. 7 meeting, district Superintendent Dr. Maria L. Rianna announced that she was joining her colleagues in working with the Chair of the Senate Education Committee to advocate for changes in the Foundation Aid and the budget proposal made by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Victoria Galante said that while state aid did increase from the current school year by $250,022, it was less of an increase than the district receive dover the past three years.
Building aid decreased by $7,526.
Galante said that she understands why the public may be wondering about the decrease with all the projects the district is undertaking. Galante said she believes the number may not include all the forms that were submitted in September.
“I have a feeling our building aid will be higher,” Galante said.
Galante, during the Feb. 7 meeting, spoke to the capital component of the budget, which addresses operation and maintenance.
“As you can see, once again, there are increases,” Galante said, as there was a $578,753 increase from the current year.
Utilities are among the cost drivers. Galante said she hopes that when the district goes solar, it will bring down costs.
The budget line, BAN – P&I, $820,000, addresses the money the district received to pay for projects funded by the Bond.
“But we’re only paying interest,” Galante said. “We’re not paying principal.”
The administrative component of the budget increased by $453,802.
There were some decreases, including a $50,000 decrease in the tax collector budget line.
“We were paying the city to collect our taxes and we’re in talks with the city to not have to pay them to do that anymore,” Galante said.
The fiscal agent fee budget line, which increased by $15,000, addresses the finance advisor who helps the district go out to borrow.
The curriculum and development line increased by $338,267, which is driven by the curriculum coordinators, along with other components of that budget line.
Galante also discussed the district’s reserves, which include workers’ compensation, unemployment and capital projects, among other budget lines.
“This is what made us get to borrow money for a 3.2 percent rate interest,” Galante said. “They look at this.”
For example, the district has over $9 million in the capital projects reserve, which is made up of some of the Foundation Aid the district has received over the years.
For more information about the ongoing 2024-2025 budget planning, visit www.glencoveschools.org/district1/board-of-education/budget-information.