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Marcellus voters approve $30.2 million budget; elect Board members
Marcellus Central School District voters approved the district’s $30.2 million 2012-13 budget proposal, elected three Board of Education members and voted on a budget increase for the Marcellus Free Library. On the ballot:
- $30.2 million proposed 2012-13 school year budget. The budget called for a less-than-1 percent (0.76 percent) increase in spending over 2011-12 and carried a 2.17 percent tax levy increase, the maximum levy allowed for the district under the new tax levy law: 874 YES, 424 NO
- Supporting the Marcellus Free Library, an increase from its current level of $456,172 to $483,542 per year: 715 YES, 561 NO
- Voters also elected three candidates for the three open Board of Education seats:
- David Kelly (1000 votes ) and Jeff Crysler (924 votes) earned three-year seats on the board.
- Ryan Riefler (922 votes) will complete the one-year remaining on Donald F.X. Keegan’s term.
“We want to thank all of our community members who came out and voted today,” said Superintendent Dr. Craig Tice. “I believe we’ve delivered a plan that preserves the academic opportunities our community has come to expect from Marcellus, while staying sensitive to the economic challenges now faced by taxpayers.”
After months of community input and budget analysis, administrators and the Board of Education members drafted a plan that cut some BOCES services, supplies, contracts and conferences; eliminated 12.2 full-time positions through retirements and resignations (two elementary teachers, one high school art teacher and a middle school special education teacher, three custodians, two secretaries and two BOCES support staff positions); reduced three administrators’ posts from 12-month positions to 11 months; and cut 1.2 full-time equivalent positions in English, science, business and special education.
The district also combined 10 modified sports teams into five, although the Marcellus Central School District All Sports Booster Club hopes to help restore that funding.
The district will pay for its expenses, which have increased most in the areas of employee pension and health insurance benefits, in part with a proposed tax levy of $16,875,861, which is an increase of $358,458, or 2.17 percent, over the current school tax levy. (The levy is the total amount of revenue raised through local property taxes.) The budget also includes about $11.6 million in state aid, a 0.4 percent increase from 2011-12, and the use of about $1.3 million in fund balance and reserves, which is 4.3 percent less than was used in 2011-12.
The district offset some of its revenue losses by cutting $248,562 in BOCES services and $302,876 in equipment, conferences and supplies. Additional savings were made through retirements ($266,659) and staffing reductions ($144,745), including the trimming of three assistant principal level jobs. These three assistant principals, whose jobs are listed as either coordinator or director level administrative positions, will work one less month during the summer of 2012-13.
The district’s athletic director position, set to become vacant in December when Brad Dates retires, remains fully funded in the budget and may be filled in the future.
“This proposed budget represents a true team effort on the part of administrators, Board of Education members and some dedicated Marcellus residents,” Dr. Tice said. “Everybody was willing to roll up their sleeves and get some chalk dust on their hands, if it meant saving jobs and preserving excellence in our schools.”
The board and Dr. Tice need to let the public know dollar for dollar what will happen with next budget so as a community we can roll up our sleeves and sharpen our pencils, to find alternate funding for our district before it becomes a casualty of the NYS education system.
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