RSS 2.0 FeedApril 21, 2011, Freeport-Baldwin Leader
Freeport school board approves $149M budget
Finalized budget includes many cuts.
The Freeport school board approved a 2011-12 expenditure budget of $149,477,547 at its April 13 meeting at Archer Street School. The figure represents an increase of $3,191,520, or 2.18%, over the 2010-11 budget, and a reduction of $310,000 from the $149,787,547 figure in the budget’s first draft.
The district will cut 26 positions, including three administrative, 14 teaching, eight teahcing assistants and one support staff. The budget includes an $800,000 savings from the restructuring of pre-kindergarten (which will be bid out to a private nonprofit company) and savings resulting from agreements with the unions.
On the revenue side, $949,068 in state aid was restored by the passage of the state budget, cutting the district loss to $4.1 million. Increased allocation of additional reserves ($2.3 million) and saving of a federal EdJobs grant from last year ($4.2 million) will make for an estimated tax levy increase of 3.88%, although the audience was reminded that other factors such as assessment changes and base proportion shifts may change their actual taxes.
The discussion of revenue brought a comment from Alan Jay that whether in the form of taxes or state aid, the money was still coming out of the people’s pockets.
Another resident asked for an explanation of the dues paid to school board associations, and questioned the amounts of money paid for internal, external and claims audits.
Superintendent Dr. Kishore Kuncham explained that the district is complying with all state accountability requirements and has been rewarded with high bond ratings and “clean” audit reports – an example of the district’s responsible performance of its duties.
In other matters
- Students from Archer Street School gave musical presentations, with music such as “New York, New York” and “Ya Gotta Have Heart.”
- The New York State Education Department honored the Freeport Schools with a grant for its Transitions Program, a program dedicated to enabling students (in this case students with disabilities) to better move from one part of the system to another. By allowing the rest of the state to see the benefits of this program, Freeport has been named a “mentor school” – one of only 28 in the state.
- Approved a resolution to approve student travel to Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC and New Jersey.
- Announced that a new district website will be up and running soon.
The next Freeport school board meeting will be Wednesday, April 27, at Atkinson.
