The increase – or decrease, if you factor in the $510,226 in full-day kindergarten conversion aid Marcellus received in 2012-2013 – is part of an additional $1 billion in state aid approved by New York’s legislature last week.
Marcellus’ preliminary 2013-14 budget so far has been based on state aid proposed in the governor’s budget on Jan. 22. With the passage of the $141 billion state budget by the Senate and Assembly, Marcellus expects to receive $333,931 more than the governor initially proposed.
“We are most appreciative of the work of the state Senate and Assembly to restore money to the governor's executive budget proposal,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Craig J. Tice said. “Based on these recent numbers, the school and community must continue to work together to ensure a rewarding educational experience for all of our children that is not only sensitive to the economic challenges we all face, but also maintains the high quality of educational programming that taxpayers have come to expect.”
Included in the total aid is a restoration ($445,053) of the $1.96 million Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) the district has endured for four straight years now, and the rest of the aid increase comes in a variety of categories. Even with the small GEA increase, the district will still sustain a $1.5 million loss in aid next year due to the continuation of the GEA in 2013-14.
The state initiated the GEA four years ago to help eliminate the state's large budget deficit, taking away aid for schools and putting the burden on local property taxpayers. The district has lost more than $8 million in education aid over that time due to the GEA (including the $1.66 million “Deficit Reduction Assessment” in 2009-10), and, as a result, has had to make difficult decisions in past budgets.
The district is hopeful the process of finalizing next year’s budget is the first sign of recovery from the fiscal challenges that started way back in 2008, Dr. Tice said.
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