Livingston Manor Central School District Board of Education approved a $20 million budget proposal to go before voters Tuesday, May 21. Two seats on the Board of Education will also be on the ballot.
The $20,252,120 budget proposal calls for a spending increase of $886,774, or 4.58%, over the current school year’s budget. Most of the increase can be attributed to increases in contractual obligations, such as salaries, benefits, transportation and BOCES.
“Although our governor’s executive budget proposal contained changes to Foundation Aid that would have resulted in significant reduction in aid to Livingston Manor, the governor has publicly indicated the proposed changes would not impact this year’s final state budget,” Superintendent John Evans said.
The governor’s initial proposal would have cut $1.3 million in Foundation Aid, one of the largest sources of funding to support the district's operating budget and would have resulted in an overall loss of $1.2 million in state funding.
To balance the budget, district leaders are proposing a tax levy of $9,771,185, an increase of 2.73%, or $259,544 compared to the current year, which meets the district’s calculated tax levy limit, or cap, required by the state. If school aid is not restored in the final state budget, there will be a greater reliance on existing fund balance and reserves to avoid any program or staffing cuts.
The district is proposing a $100,000 capital outlay project to redesign and enhance the Family & Consumer Science classroom. The classroom is outdated, and the renovations would likely be a two-phase project. The plumbing and ventilation would need to be addressed along with remodeling the kitchen to provide a safer and more efficient learning model. School districts are able to perform one $100,000 capital outlay project each year for which they receive building aid the following year. At the district’s current building aid rate of 68.8%, LMCS would receive $68,800 in 2025-26 to offset the project’s costs.
Voters will also be asked to elect two people to serve three-year terms on the school board. The deadline for nominating petitions to be returned is April 22. The names of the candidates will be announced on the website at that time.
Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, in the Livingston Manor Central School District new gymnasium at 19 School St.
Under New York state law, if the school budget is defeated, the board of education typically has two options: hold another vote in June on either the same budget or a revised budget, or adopt a contingent budget without a second vote. If residents defeat the proposed budget during a second vote, the board must adopt a contingent budget. A contingent budget contains no tax levy increase and would eliminate all non-contingent expenses, such as certain student supplies, certain equipment purchases and community use of school facilities that results in a district expense. (In other words, the district would likely need to charge fees for any community use of buildings and grounds.) The administrative budget would also be subject to certain restrictions. The district would have to cut $259,544 from school programs, staffing and equipment.
More information on the budget will be available at https://www.lmcs.us/page/budget .