A two-hour budget presentation that meant plenty of numbers, percentages and calculations for Batavia City Schools board Tuesday left board President Alice Benedict unsure it added up to a yes vote.
Given a proposed tax levy increase of $315,716, or 1.62 percent, and uncertain enrollment projections, Benedict mused if an increase was really necessary.
“I’m wondering if our numbers are down, why are we adding more?” she said during the board’s first 2022-23 budget workshop in the district office conference room. “Once we get (additional teachers) into the district … are we at the right levels that we should be, enrollment versus teachers?”
Business Administrator Scott Rozanski had been laying out the $55 million budget for about 90 minutes, complete with a proposed $1.2 million increase in salaries for teachers, administrators and support staff. The increase supports new assistant principal and community schools coordinator salaries plus nine additional teachers.
Benedict referred to a former board meeting guest who reviewed a report that included district enrollment projections. Although it wasn’t all bad news, the data told “a bitter tale,” consultant Paul Seversky had said.
Genesee County births are still taking place, though at low numbers, more kids transferred to a private school — 174 in 2021 versus 137 in 2020 — and one out of 10 students leave the district within the school year, he said.
Increased expenses of nearly $3 million include additional personnel and bumping up bus purchases from 15 to 21 as a “worst-case scenario,” Rozanski said, as there has been a hike in numbers due to “foster care needing services.”
This overall 1.62 percent tax levy increase would be within the state-mandated tax cap, he said. It translates to a tax rate increase of 31-cents per thousand assessed valuation, or an extra $27.90 for a home assessed at $90,000.
Benedict asked if the district buses 100 percent of its students now.
“No, we bus about 50 to 55 percent now,” he said. “We tentatively could bus 100 percent if we tier (the bus runs and students). We don’t have to transport everyone per State Education Department guidelines; for a small city school, it’s not mandated.”
He presented some of the district’s history and emphasized that remaining within the tax cap has saved taxpayers a cumulative $29.7 million over the last decade.
“Are you trying to convince me?” Benedict said, as Rozanski quickly replied: “No, I’’m not trying to convince you … it all plays into the big picture.”
“This tax levy increase is a wish list, and we as a board can say we don’t want any increase whatsoever,” she said. “I just don’t want to get to a point where we have more staffing than we need.”
Superintendent Jason Smith said that he and Rozanski have “identified some areas for reductions” and will provide them per the board’s directives. This is a preliminary budget and may be revised before a public vote in May.
To view the session, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmA08cTXyv4
