On Tuesday, May 16, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District residents will vote on the proposed budget for the 23-24 school year. Although details and numbers are still being developed, information has been shared at Board of Education meetings over the last few months. View the most up-to-date information, including budget presentations, on our Budget, Taxes, and Financial Audits webpage here.
Many factors influence the development of a school budget, including the tax levy limit or “tax cap.” At the February 1 Board of Education Meeting, Business Administrator Jesse Boehme reviewed the Tax Levy Limit Calculation that was subsequently submitted to NYS Comptroller on March 1. Recently, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that the allowable growth factor for school budgets this year will be capped at 2% once again for 2023. According to state law, this factor is designed to either match the rate of inflation or be capped at the 2% maximum.
The rising cost of goods and services, caused by the high-cost price index, takes a toll on not only school districts but the entire community. This impacts the cost of keeping the lights on in schools, the supplies needed for instructional programs, and the cost of health insurance for school employees. The school district’s goal in developing a budget proposal for the upcoming school year will be to find the right balance between what our community can support and providing every student with the highest quality education.
Funds from property taxes are one of the two stable funding sources that school districts rely on, with state and federal aid being the second source. While we are grateful for increased investments in education from both federal and state sources, we continue to work on developing long-term, sustainable fiscal plans for the district.
The tax cap does not necessarily cap an individual’s school tax bill, it only affects how much money the school can levy in taxes. Individual tax bills are affected by a variety of factors outside a school district’s control, such as local property tax rates, home values, and the School Tax Relief (STAR) program. Therefore, your tax bill may change at a different rate than 2%. Our district’s tax levy limit was calculated according to a formula outlined in the law. This year’s limit is 1.48%. A school district that intends to exceed the cap must have 60% +1 of voters to approve it. Since we will not be exceeding the tax cap, RCS will only need 50% +1 of votes to approve the budget.
In addition to the school budget, two additional propositions will be on the ballot on May 16. The first is part of our continued bus replacement plan. This part of the plan would include three new 64-passenger buses. The second proposition would be to create a new Capital Reserve Fund Account. In short, Capital Reserve Fund Accounts are used for the purpose of financing the purchase, general improvement, reconstruction, renovations, or additions to the District’s buildings. This may also include the acquisition of sites (land and/or buildings). This proposition would not cost the taxpayers any money. It is just an approval to create an account that could be funded up to $10,000,000 by the unassigned fund balance from the General Fund. It would be a savings account that could significantly reduce, or eliminate, any cost to taxpayers for construction, as was done in the last two district construction projects. Money can only be moved into this account by a vote of the Board of Education, and money can only be spent from this account with voter approval.
As the budget development process continues, please look for more information from the district office about this year’s budget proposal. The annual school budget vote will be held Tuesday, May 16, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the High School Main Gym.
Upcoming Budget Events:
- March 29, 2023: Budget Workshop – Foundation aid, Pilot schedule, Retirement breakage, Expenditures, Three part budget (program, capital, administrative)
- Please note Budget Workshops are not BOE Meetings. The community is invited to attend and listen, but there will not be a Hearings and Petitions section.
- April 5, 2023: Board of Education Meeting – Adoption of 23-24 budget
Past Budget Events:
- March 15, 2023: Board of Education Meeting – K-12 Instructional program, staffing numbers, and Athletics
- March 1, 2023: Board of Education Meeting – Transportation, Food Service, $100K Capital Exclusion Project
- February 15, 2023:BOE Meeting – O&M and Instructional Technology departments
- February 1, 2023: Board of Education Meeting – Review of Tax Cap Calculation, State Aid, Reserve Plan, Uniform Replacement plan, & class sizes