The Minisink Valley Board of Education adopted a revised, proposed $95,314,988 school budget for the 2019-20 school year, which, if approved on June 18, would result in a 2.46 percent tax levy increase.
The revised budget going before voters later this month reduces the proposed tax levy increase from the 7.97 percent increase voted down by district residents on May 21 and reduces spending by $4,676,257, or 4.67 percent.
Despite the decrease in the total amount of money to be raised through property taxes, the proposed tax levy will remain above the district’s tax levy limit of -0.47 percent, as determined by the state’s tax cap law. As a result, the budget must be approved by a supermajority to pass – meaning, 60 percent plus one.
The revised proposed budget reflects an additional spending decrease of $2,151,478 from the initial budget turned down by voters. The proposed additional cuts include teacher, staff and administrative positions; reductions and eliminations in non-mandated instructional and extra-curricular programs, communications services, technology, professional learning, equipment and supplies.
Revised, proposed budget cuts, reductions and eliminations in this budget:
Staffing Reductions
21 faculty positions
32.5 staff positions
2 administrator positions
Reductions
CR BOCES public information services
Technology budget
Equipment and supplies
Eliminations
Field trips
Summer school program
5 p.m. bus runs
Drama production assistant directors
Summer curriculum program
Virtual High School
High school AP/college courses
High school electives
After school detention II program
Intramural swimming program
17 sports program assistants
Office of Professional Learning
The proposed revised budget also calls for the use of more than $5.3 million of the district’s fund balance.
If the revised budget is not approved by a supermajority of voters, the Board of Education must adopt a contingent budget.
Contingent budget reductions and eliminations may include but are not limited to:
Reductions
Full-day kindergarten is reduced to half-day kindergarten
Reduction of bus driver positions due to reduced bus routes
Eliminations
K-5 enrichment programs
Mount Hope Police/Orange County Sheriff coverage
JROTC
Additional high school AP/college courses
Additional high school electives
JV sports
Modified sports
Transportation costs tied to sports
Referee/BOCES costs tied to sports
Athletic materials and supplies
5th Grade Band
School musical productions
School drama productions
High school and middle school extracurricular clubs
High school and middle school department chairperson positions
K-5 chairperson positions
Fine Arts chairperson position
Athletic trainer position
PM door greeter positions
CR BOCES public information services
The tax levy resulting from a contingent budget can be no greater than the tax levy of the prior year, meaning no tax levy increase.
Under a contingent budget, the Board of Education has discretion, in most cases, to determine what non-mandated programs and other services would be reduced, including extracurricular programs and athletics.
A newsletter providing detail will be mailed to district residents on June 12.
Residents will vote on the proposed budget on June 18 from noon to 9 p.m. at the same polling locations used for the May 21 budget vote.