General Brown facing big task

DEXTER — When General Brown Central School District Board of Education members continue budget discussions Monday, they face the task of cutting $1 million out of the budget, and that's just the beginning.

With Gov. David A. Paterson's proposed 2010-11 executive budget, the school district faces a loss of $1.5 million in state aid.

"It just looks so bad," said Lori S. McAvoy, board vice president.

Michele A. Traynor, district budget administrator, said the state aid cut would represent 7.3 percent of the proposed $21,079,424 budget for 2010-11. Given that state aid is one of two main sources of revenue for a school district, Mrs. Traynor said, General Brown will have to increase the tax levy to make up for the loss of state aid.

Budgeted spending is up $487,631, which is a 2.4 percent increase from the 2009-10 budget of $20,591,793. The bulk of that is attributed to salary hikes and an increase in health and dental insurance costs, Mrs. Traynor said.

If board members keep everything in the $21,079,424 budget and put it up for vote in May, taxpayers would face a 23.4 percent increase in the tax levy, going from $5,892,919 for the 2009-10 budget to $7,271,631 for the 2010-11 budget.

Mrs. Traynor said "there is no fat" to trim from the proposed budget. The 2010-11 budget could mean the loss of 16 noninstructional employees and eight teachers. According to the budget impact statement, any instructional positions eliminated would be in non-mandatory classes, which would avoid cuts to elementary teacher positions.

More than $1.8 million from the fund balance and reserves would have to be used to help limit cuts to that level.

Board member Richard L. Halpin said the district should be prepared to use its fund balance.

"If ever there was a rainy day, it's the year coming up," Mr. Halpin said.

District Superintendent Stephan J. Vigliotti Sr. cautioned the board that once it dips into those funds, if that money is not put back, taxes will have to be raised again the following year.

"It'd be irresponsible for us not to use some of it," he said. "It's a double-edge sword."

According to the budget impact statement, the district cut its curriculum coordinator position as well as one business education teacher and a school psychologist for the 2009-10 school year. The district also had to use $1.49 million from the designated fund balance to create a 2.95 percent tax levy increase from $5,724,059 to $5,892,919.

Dipping into the fund balance and reserves also would keep the tax levy increase as low as the board could for the 2010-11 school year. No new positions were added this year, and Mrs. Traynor said the board has some tough decisions to make in the next few months.

"The board needs to identify areas in which reductions will need to be made and gain consensus on those areas," she said.

Board members will continue budget discussions at 6 p.m. Monday in the junior-high school cafeteria, 17643 Cemetery Road.