Qualified voters of the Schuylerville Central School District will vote on a $38 million proposed budget for the 2021-22 school year from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the District Office Board of Education room. The $38 million proposed budget calls for a 1.53% spending increase and an estimated tax levy increase of 0.9%. The district’s projected 2021-22 maximum allowable tax levy under the NYS property tax cap is 3.45%, but under the current budget proposal, will be 0.9%. If the budget is approved, homeowners who qualify will again be eligible for the state’s property tax relief credit. Tax rates for individual properties will be determined over the summer once equalization rates and assessments are available for the district’s seven towns.
The district’s five-year comparative spending plan exemplifies a continued effort to remain fiscally conservative for the taxpayers while maintaining academic programming and staffing.
“It is the district’s goal to present a balanced and fiscally conservative budget each year that also provides continued opportunities for our students,” said Schuylerville Central School District Business Manager Marian Chrisman. “The state aid projections provided the ability to keep the district’s tax levy below the allowable tax cap of 1.23%.”
Budget proposal highlights
- Four term elementary positions were added for the 2020-21 school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to reduce class sizes for physical distancing purposes. For the 2021-22 school year, three of those elementary positions will be maintained in the proposed budget, with the goal of keeping average class sizes between 15-18 students.
- Two K-5 reading Academic Intervention Support (AIS) teachers, currently assigned to classrooms, will be reinstated as AIS reading teachers.
“We are very excited about the ability to provide greater levels of AIS to K-5 students with a goal of addressing individual learning needs,” said Elementary Principal Rose Beckett. “Early intervention is critical to student success and academic achievement. We look forward to continuing to offer this support.”
- The fourth school nurse that was originally hired as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will be retained for the 2021-22 school year to continue to aid in health and safety protocols in the district.
“We greatly appreciate the unwavering support of our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic uncertainty,” said Board of Education President, Michael Bodnar. “We are confident that this budget will allow us to maintain the district’s strong level of academic programs and continue to make our community proud.”
A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held May 6 at 6:00 p.m. in the District Office Board of Education room.