District Releases First 2012-2013 Budget Proposal

Business Administrator Vincent Yaniro Tuesday night presented a proposed budget for 2012-2013 that represented a 1.9 percent increase in tax levy from the budget for the 2011-2012 school year.

The budget, which Yaniro said has been worked on since October, will be discussed nearly a dozen more times at Board meetings and meetings of the Board’s Finance Committee during the next two months before being formally presented to the public on March 27 and submitted to the county on March 28.

All figures are tentative, since several variables still exist. State figures, most notably the amount of state aid the district will be receiving, will be available by the time the Finance Committee next meets on Feb. 23. The Board is then scheduled to approve a tentative proposed budget at its Feb. 28 meeting for submission to the county. The Board will also meet four times in March. The first three meetings will include discussions on different aspects of the proposed budget with the final meeting allowing for a formal presentation of the final budget to the public.  

The largest potential change from the current budget to the 2012-2013 proposal is an estimated $1.9 million increase in spending on district salaries. The 2011-2012 budget included $53,596,748 for salaries. The proposed budget allocates $55,489,193 for salaries.

The proposed budget allots $312,502 for district initiatives, which Superintendent Margaret Dolan said would include adjustments the district makes in preparation for an expected increase in enrollment in coming years in addition to the costs of STEM-related (science, technology, engineering and math) programs. No such allotment was included in this year’s budget.

The proposal allocates $516,850 for technology improvements, which Yaniro said would primarily focus on replacing school computers that are more than seven years old. The proposed budget also includes a $454,541 increase in special education funds, a $43,096 increase in debt service and a $20,126 increase in athletics funds.

Among the savings projected in the new budget is a decrease of more than $1.3 million in spending on pension and health benefits. Yaniro said the decrease results from district victories at the bargaining table and the subsequent increase in contractual contributions from employees. The proposed budget also reflects more than $91,000 in savings on buildings and grounds expenses, due to more efficient energy management and the district working with other districts in order to pay lower rates for electricity and natural gas. Both operations and transportation costs are expected to drop by about $39,500 each.   

The proposed budget did not include any major cuts to programs, which Dolan attributed to the district’s long-range planning and the work of the Board and the administration when making tough budget decisions in recent years.

The Board will hold a vote on the proposal at its next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28.