BUDGET VOTE & SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

May 15, 2018 | 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. | SCS District Office | 45 E. Elizabeth St.

The election will take place in the Skaneateles Central Schools District Office:

• Please use the main entrance.

• The parking area next to the building will be reserved for voters.

• Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

• You may wish to schedule your trip to the polls to avoid student arrival and dismissal times:

        • Arrival – 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

        • Dismissal – 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• We invite you to the District Art Show in the District Office.

QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS: Citizen of the United States, at least 18 years of age and a resident of the Skaneateles Central School District at least 30 days prior to the date of the vote (renters are district residents - proof of address for new residents is required).

Propositions On Ballot:  What You Will See When You Vote:

PROPOSITION I - GENERAL FUND BUDGET
 
Shall the Board of Education of the Skaneateles Central School District, Counties of Cayuga and Onondaga, New York, be authorized to expend the sum of $34,009,732 for the 2018-2019 school year and levy the necessary tax when due?

PROPOSITION II - BUS PROPOSITION
 
Shall the Board of Education of the Skaneateles Central School District, Onondaga County, New York, be authorized to purchase and finance student transport vehicles, including necessary furnishings, fixtures and equipment and all other costs incidental thereto, and expend a total sum not to exceed $450,000, which is estimated to be the total maximum cost thereof, and said amount, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be raised by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of said School District and collected in annual installments as provided by Section 416 of the Education Law; and, in anticipation of such tax, obligations of said School District, in the principal amount not to exceed $450,000, be issued?

PROPOSITION III - CAPITAL RESERVE FUND GENERAL CONSTRUCTION

Shall the Board of Education of the Skaneateles Central School District be authorized to establish a new ten-year capital reserve pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000 to be used for renovations and additions to all district facilities, including purchase of equipment and school busses, technology upgrades, classroom equipment and/or school infrastructure equipment, site development, storm and sanitary sewers, driveways, and parking lots, such reserve fund to be funded from (i) year-end budget surplus funds known as unassigned fund balance, as available, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018 and each fiscal year thereafter for the term of the reserve fund, (ii) future transfers of excess monies from Board of Education designated reserves, (iii) amounts from budgetary appropriations from time-to-time, and (iv) New York State aid received and made available by the Board of Education from time-to-time, all as permitted by law?

2018-2019 Proposed Budget

• Total Budget:  $34,009,732
• Tax levy increase: 3.75% (see below for a common question related to the "2% Tax Cap")
• Budget to budget increase:  4.78%

Expenditures

Estimated tax impact*:



School Board President Letter: Budget Talk

With only May and June to go, it’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another school year. It’s been said that “Time goes by quicker as one gets older” and I must now admit, I couldn’t agree more. It’s been a quick year, one definitely not lacking in excitement, and definitely one for learning - for everyone.

One area of learning here and across the entire country has been around school safety. Personally, this continues to be a focus for me having grown up, now working, and continuing to raise a family in Skaneateles. We are incredibly fortunate to live where we do. For a long time, we’ve been able to leave our cars running while dashing into Byrne Dairy, to leave our front doors unlocked, and to leave something behind – a jacket, wallet, phone, etc. – at a local store only to go back and find it’s right where you left it. But with the events that have taken place in and around the country including our own emergency lockdown, we have to acknowledge that things are different. We need to review our plans and protocols, our facilities and personnel, and our approach to school safety all around.

Part of that review was included in this year’s budget process which began in October of this past year. Administration built the budget based on the calendar that the board adopted and the state guidelines that they are required by state law, to follow. And, just like with all of the other challenges that we have faced this year, there were a number of them in this year’s budget process as well including the unpredictability of the state budget and what, if any, state aid that we might get based on a new focus by the state on aiding high needs districts. In addition, this year we were making a number of changes to our special education cost structure right up to the last minute all while a portion of the community was having their properties reassessed and 4 townships were changing their taxing structure (equalization rates). All of these moving parts made building this year’s budget a challenge for sure.
 

In the end, despite the proposed budget including a 3.75% increase in the tax levy, most residents will actually see a decrease in their tax bill. Yes, you read this correctly – taxes will be reduced for most residents even with the increases in spending and the tax levy. This is due to a significant increase in the “total assessed value” of the district. While we will occasionally have slight increases from year to year based on changes to assessments or equalization rates, this year we expect a substantial increase in the total value which means that for the majority of our district community, taxes are expected to go down.

For example, for a home in Sennett assessed at $350,000, your taxes are expected to go down by approximately $273. For a home in Skaneateles assessed at $350,000, your taxes are expected to go down by approximately $347. But unfortunately, not everyone will see this relief. For example, those living on the lake who have been reassessed and those in Spafford who now have a new equalization rate will see an increase.

This proposed budget does not cut any instructional staff, keeps our programs in place that we have worked hard to build, and includes funding for additional school safety and security initiatives. These initiatives will be defined after a community ad hoc committee is formed over the summer and will make a recommendation to the board. Funding for these initiatives is capped at $60,000.00. As I stated above, safety has become a lifestyle. The board approved this approach after hearing from several members of the community, parents, students, and staff members regarding safety.

While still on the topic of safety, Proposition II on the ballot will ask to purchase 4 more buses. One of my first duties as President was going to the bus garage and meeting with Bruce Freeman, our bus mechanic, and the DOT inspector. After that day, I have a new respect for bus drivers, and Bruce! Safety is their number one concern, and their gratefulness to the community for going with the 5 year purchasing plan were mentioned several times. Even the DOT inspector wished more districts were going in this direction. Having dependable buses and enough seating for all students to get our students out of an unsafe situation, is one area, I hope never comes but will be there if needed.
 

Over the next few days, you will receive the budget newsletter outlining where your tax dollars will go and what wonderful successes that we, as a school district, have had. You can also see more information on our district website under the Announcements section.
 

I totally understand if some are saying, I already voted in November, and you did for Project 2021, but this for the 2018-2019 budget. It will also be at the same place as the Project 2021 vote, the District Office (the old bus garage) at 45 East Elizabeth Street and the traditional art show will be on display.

Again, thank you for your continued support, involvement and dedication to the district for providing such great education for our students.

Spring is really coming and so is the ends of the school year- enjoy it all.

Sincerely,
Susan Greenfield Murphy
President, Skaneateles Board of Education

Board Meeting Provides Updates on 2018-2019 School Budget

SKANEATELES, NY (May 2, 2018) – The Skaneateles Central Schools Board of Education held an informational meeting for the community on Tuesday evening, providing further details on the approved 2018-2019 school budget.

The proposed 2018-2019 school budget is set at $34,009,732, a 4.78% increase from the 2017-2018 budget, with a 3.75% anticipated tax levy increase.

However, based on preliminary land and building reassessment values, most residents will see a decrease in their overall school tax bill.

Factors in the increased budget include a rise in debt service, special education costs, the bus replacement plan and employee salaries and benefits.

Targeting appropriate professional learning services for faculty and staff in order to address changes to learning standards, assessments and student behavior was also a factor.

While the budget is set to increase, it does maintain and enhance the programming that has been instituted under state regulations and the district’s own strategic plan, and maintains its existing instructional staffing levels, which serve the district’s increasing overall enrollment.

The continuation of world languages, driver education, elementary STEM programming, music technology courses and career and technical opportunities will remain a focus for the district.  

A new area of funding this year is for school safety and security interventions.

The proposed budget includes a $60,000 allocation to be utilized for improved school safety and security.  A community advisory committee is being established to guide the Board of Education and administration in determining what improvements are necessary. 

A complete listing of approved budget documents, including a detailed look at the overall budget and all three propositions, is available on the Skaneateles Central Schools website under the announcement section, located in the top right hand corner of the site.

A direct link can be found here:  http://www.skanschools.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=1202

On Tuesday, May 15 the community budget vote and school board election will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Skaneateles Central Schools District Office located at 45 E. Elizabeth St.

Board of Education candidates include Kerry Brogan, Jonathan Dower, Michael Kell and Susan Murphy.  Community members are asked to vote for any three candidates.

The annual district art show will also take place inside the District Office during voting.

Keep in touch with events and happenings in relation to the Skaneateles Central School District by visiting online at www.skanschools.org or following the district’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Skaneateles.Schools/.

How Can the District Propose a Tax Levy That Is Above the NYS 2% Tax Cap?

This is a common question and comes from a misunderstanding of what the "2% cap" actually is. For information on what is really meant by this term, please see this short video:

Other common questions will be posted shortly.


Skaneateles Central Schools Board of Education Adopts 2018-2019 District Budget

SKANEATELES, NY (April 11, 2018) – On Tuesday, April 10, the Skaneateles Central School District’s 2018-2019 budget was adopted by the Board of Education, finalizing the budget adoption process that began in October of 2017.

The adopted budget carries an anticipated tax levy increase of 3.75%, although the district’s tax cap for this year was 4.44%.

State law refers to a “2% tax cap”, which is quite misleading, as the actual cap for each district is based on an eight-step calculation that fluctuates from year to year.  For example, since 2012 the Skaneateles Central School District tax cap has ranged from a low of .09% to a high of 6.25%.

The newly adopted budget maintains and enhances the programming that has been instituted under state regulations and the district’s own strategic plan, and also maintains its existing instructional staffing levels, which serve the district’s increasing overall enrollment.

A new area of funding this year is for school safety and security interventions.

On Tuesday, the Board directed district administration to establish a Community Advisory Committee to guide the administration on developing recommendations for the improvement of school safety and security. The committee’s recommendations may result in suggestions for additional staffing including an additional counselor or social worker, a school resource officer, a teacher for a specialized instruction area or a variety of other possible options. 

The recommendations could also result in additional research-based programming being initiated within the district to better serve the needs of our students.

The budget will now move before the community on Tuesday, May 1 as a part of a community budget informational meeting, which will be held in the Skaneateles Central School District board room at 45 East Elizabeth St., beginning at 7 p.m.

Two weeks later on Tuesday, May 15 the community budget vote and school board election will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Skaneateles Central Schools District Office.

A complete listing of approved budget documents, including a detailed look at the overall budget and all three propositions, is available on the Skaneateles Central Schools website under the announcement section, located in the top right hand corner of the site.

A direct link can be found here:  http://www.skanschools.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=1202

Keep in touch with events and happenings in relation to the Skaneateles Central School District by visiting online at www.skanschools.org or following the district’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Skaneateles.Schools/.