The Port Jervis Board of Education
approved a $60,941,600 budget for the 2009-10 school year April
23. Offset by cost-cutting measures and allocations from the
district's fund balance, the proposed spending plan carries a
tax levy of 1.5 percent.
"This increase is among the lowest in recent history," said
Superintendent John Xanthis.
STAR savings to continue for homeowners The 2009-10 state budget does not
contain funding for School Tax Relief (STAR) rebate checks, but
all New Yorkers who own their own homes can continue to
significantly reduce their school taxes through the STAR
program. The Basic STAR exemption is available for
owner-occupied, primary residencies - regardless of the owner’s
age or income. The Enhanced STAR exemption is available on the
primary residence of residents, age 65 and up, with yearly
household incomes below the state standard. This program is not
administered by school districts.
More information on the
STAR program is available at
www.orps.state.ny.us.
Budget Workshop:
April 21
BOE will review proposed budget allocations
POSTED: APRIL 6, 2009
The Port Jervis School District
Board of Education will meet with district administrators
Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. to finalize the proposed 2009-10
budget. The budget workshop is being held to provide board
members with the opportunity to review and fine-tune budget
allocations prior to April 23, the date the board is scheduled
to adopt the budget that will be put before voters.
The discussion will focus primarily on the 2009-10 tax levy. At
the directive of the school board, the district has worked to
keep the proposed tax increase below 3 percent. Initially, when
districts across the state were anticipating drastic state aid
cuts, the preliminary budget included a plan to keep costs down
by eliminating six teaching positions.
With the support of the promised federal stimulus money, the
district was able to reduce the projected tax levy increase to 2
percent and avoid some of the forecasted staff cuts.
"Our plan is to develop a budget that best suits the educational
needs of our students," said Assistant Superintendent for
Business Lorelei Case, noting that the federal stimulus money
would be used to restore four of the six teaching positions
slated to be cut. This would allow the district to keep
elementary class size down and to continue to improve student
learning.
"We've worked hard to make needed improvements and gradually
restore the staff lost six years ago," said Case, who explained
that staff cuts would hinder future progress.
Workshop kicks off budget process
POSTED: FEB. 27, 2009
The Feb. 26 Community Budget
Workshop provided local taxpayers with the opportunity to learn
more about the district’s budgetary goals, fiscal outlook, and
the preliminary budget for the 2009-10 school year.
At the first public budget meeting of the year, Assistant
Superintendent for Business Lorelei Case presented a detailed,
line-by-line review of the preliminary budget figures. The
preliminary budget of $59 million represents a small increase of
$541,000 – which is less than one percent – higher than the
current operating budget.
In spite of a decline in state
aid and the rising costs of running an educational system, Case
said the district has been able to keep next year’s costs down
by eliminating six teaching positions through attrition and
increased employee contributions to health care. She also noted
that last year’s budget included several one-time expenditures
such as the purchase of new playground equipment and a
maintenance vehicle.
Unlike many public school districts throughout the state,
Port Jervis is not facing a double-digit tax increase. At
the directive of the Board of Education, Case said the district
is working to keep the tax increase below 3 percent. The
preliminary budget represents a projected tax levy increase of
2.9 percent.
In addition to the operating budget, Case presented the Board
of Education with two proposals to save tax dollars. The
first proposal is to apply $1 million from the district’s
operating budget fund balance to reduce the debt on the $14.6
million Capital Project. The estimated cost savings would equal
$100,000 a year for the next 15 years. The other recommendation
is to transfer $625,000 from the fund balance to demolish the
bus garage/maintenance storage facility that was destroyed by
flood waters and to build a small maintenance storage facility
on the Middle School campus. If approved by the school board,
one or both of the proposals would be included in the proposed
2009-10 budget.
The Board of Education is also considering placing two
capital renovation projects on the May 19 ballot. Both
projects would allow the district to address safety, security,
and energy efficiency problems in our schools at minimal cost to
taxpayers.
Proposition I is a scaled-down version of the December
referendum. The $4.1 million capital improvement project
would use the district’s remaining $676,000 allocation of EXCEL
Aid to help fund the following renovations: replace classroom
windows and heating/ventilation units at Anna S. Kuhl and
Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary Schools and Port Jervis High
School with tempered glass, safety egress units; and install a
new public address system at Bicentennial Elementary School. The
local share of the costs would be approximately $25,000 a year
for 15 years.
Proposition II is a proposed $5.2 million capital improvement
project. This project would allow the district to address
the following building needs: add security vestibules to the
entrance of the two schools at the Route 209; replace the
two-story window units at ASK Elementary School and classroom
units in the 1989 HBE addition with safer, more
energy-efficiency units; and install exit and emergency signs at
all schools. The school improvements would be funded partially
by a $250,000 allocation from the Capital Reserve funds. The
local share would be $100,000 a year for 15 years.
Look for detailed information and answers to residents’
questions in a special budget section on this Web site in the
coming weeks.
Residents urged to
lobby legislators for state aid
State aid cuts will impact taxes
POSTED: FEB. 10, 2009
UPDATED: FEB. 17, 2009 The financial picture for New York State and its schools is
pretty grim.
While the federal stimulus package will provide New York
school districts with some relief, the aid is only a temporary reprieve. The
good news is the stimulus money will prevent the state from
having to make the drastic educational cuts proposed by Governor David Paterson
for next year. But, the bailout money doesn't provide
a long-term solution to the state deficit and future
education cuts.
“Like many school leaders around the state, I’m concerned about
being able to maintain quality programs while holding the line
on taxes,” said Port Jervis Superintendent John Xanthis.
The Governor’s proposal is now in the Legislature’s hands. The
state budget deadline is April 1 .
State aid funds more than 50 percent of the annual Port Jervis
school budget and is one of two major sources of revenue for the
district – the other being local property taxes.
Xanthis and superintendents from Orange and Ulster Counties met
with the region’s legislators in January, and again in
February,
to voice their concerns about the impact state aid cuts will
have on local schools and school taxes. (Hear more about this
by watching the Cable 6 TV News interview with Xanthis. The clip
is posted below.)
School leaders are now urging residents to contact local
legislators before the state budget is finalized. Details of the
proposed cuts are outlined in the form letters copied below for
your convenience. Residents can download the letter or use the
information to write a personal note. Links to each of the
legislator's Web sites are listed below, along with their
mailing addresses.
Residents can contact local legislators as follows:
Learn more:
Cable 6 TV News interviewed Superintendent John Xanthis on Feb.
11
about the importance of contacting state legislators to voice
concerns over the proposed cuts to state education aid.
STAR TAX EXEMPTIONPROGRAM
New
York State homeowners can reduce their school taxes
through this statewide school tax relief program. Call
your town assessor to apply.
