Though the Pittsford Central School District is facing a $1.9 million reduction in state aid for the 2010-11 school year, that does not make a large impact on the district’s budget proposal.
“Because only 17 percent of our revenue comes from state aid, the impact on us isn’t as great as it has been on some of our neighboring districts,” Superintendent Mary Alice Price said.
There are no job cuts proposed in the district’s $109.7 million spending plan for the 2010-11 school year.
The Pittsford Board of Education adopted the proposal Monday, April 12. A public hearing is set for 7 p.m. Monday, May 10 at Barker Road Middle School, 75 Barker Road, Pittsford. Residents can vote on the budget Tuesday, May 18, at the Barker Road gym.
Rather than cut any programs, the district proposes a 5 percent reduction in discretionary areas such as supplies, materials, field trips and contractual expenses.
While the tax levy — the amount to be raised via taxes — would increase 2.61 percent or $2.1 million, the actual tax rate has not yet been computed. The district estimates it will be $23.37 per $1,000 of assessed property value, a 0.5 percent increase. A homeowner with an assessment of $250,000 with Basic STAR (School Tax Relief) would pay $5,142, a $26 increase.
No jobs would be reduced, but the number of positions at the middle and high schools would be frozen.
“Students’ schedules are being done now, and the staff has to work with the allocation that they have in the current school year,” Price said.
The district would no longer offer summer school for students who want to take new courses. They could take courses through other approved means, such as area colleges.
Two of the greatest areas of increased spending are employee benefits, which would rise 6.47 percent or $1.6 million; and salaries, which would rise 2.36 percent or $1.2 million.
In terms of revenue, Pittsford is receiving a boost in sales tax dollars due to the FAIR plan settlement. The district also qualified for $144,000 in state aid for administrative efficiency.
In the FAIR plan, County Executive Maggie Brooks proposed intercepting 50 percent of sales-tax revenues from suburban schools as part of her Fairness, Accountability, Innovation and Results, in a swap with the state to have it pick up the county’s annual share of Medicaid costs. It was overturned by courts, and the county is paying back the money.
The school district would use $1.25 million from reserve funds to reduce the tax levy, which is $500,000 more than this year.
“A lot of people come here to live because of the schools, so we want to maintain that level of excellence,” Price said. “But we also want to manage the cost.”
District residents will also vote on a proposition to allow the district to spend $1,125,000 from the bus purchase capital reserve fund to buy 11 new buses.
More information is available at www.pittsfordschools.org.
