Community budget forum set for Feb. 13

Marcellus Central School District officials will share what they know so far about the district’s 2013-14 budget, and invite members of the public to ask questions about it, during a community budget forum scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in the high school’s Groeling Auditorium.

As Business Administrator Anthony Sonnacchio told Board members at their Jan. 23 meeting, the district now faces an estimated budget gap of $1.2 million, based on projected revenues of $28.93 million and expenditures of $30.14 million. If the Board decided to close that gap by raising property taxes, they would need to adopt a budget that called for a 7.19 percent tax levy increase.

But the district has many more tools at its disposal to pare down the deficit, Mr. Sonnacchio said, such as increased state aid, additional use of district reserves, contract negotiations and other expense reductions. These options will be explained during the forum.
Also during the forum, district officials will:

• Discuss the budget in a historical context. Since 2008, Marcellus – and nearly every district in the state – has had to weather not only losses in state aid, but also steep increases in retirement contribution rates, declining student enrollment and staffing reductions.
  
  Yet, even in the face of these challenges, the district labored to limit tax increases and maintain the level of instructional programming that residents have come to expect from Marcellus schools. In 2012-13, Marcellus Central School District once again ranks among the state’s lowest (35th) in per-pupil spending.


• Explain what Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed state budget means for Marcellus. The governor’s proposal calls for a 3.9 percent total decrease in state aid for the district. But when you remove from the equation the one-time boost of conversion aid that Marcellus received this year for moving to full-day kindergarten, the district actually stands to see a $43,000 increase in aid.


• Give tentative information about additional ballot referendums.
• Bus purchases: The district has not replaced its larger, 66-passenger buses in two years, and some of its aging buses are becoming costly to maintain. 
• Technology purchases: The district’s technology program is ready for an upgrade, including districtwide wireless access, computer and smart board replacement plans, and increased access to technology for student learning.


• Explain how the rest of the budget process unfolds.
• Town meetings are scheduled for each of the school buildings (7 p.m. March 14 at K.C. Heffernan Elementary, 7 p.m. March 20 at Marcellus High School and 7 p.m. March 25 at C.S. Driver Middle School. 
• Formal presentation of proposed budget to board for review and adoption (April 22, barring unforeseen events.) 
• May 14: Public budget hearing: 7 p.m.
• May 21: School budget vote, 12 to 9 p.m.