BCSD Budget 2018-19
Understanding Property Values and Equalization Rates
*** Please note that budget spreadsheets and presentations are being revised slightly to reflect the April 11th Adoption of the Final 2018-19 BCSD Budget to go to the voters on May 15, 2018 ***
Dear BCSD Families and Community Members:
I am proud to present to the Board of Education and Community the Bedford Central School District 2018-19 proposed “Superintendent’s Budget.” Here you will find the presentation provided on February 28, 2018 during our Board of Education Business Meeting. Our overarching budget development goals are to design a fiscally responsible budget that meets the educational needs of our students, meets the operational and fiscal needs of our school district and community, and promotes accountability and transparency.
The 2017-18 BCSD budget represented the beginning of a process of slow, incremental, and sustainable rebuilding of programs, operations and services. The 2018-19 budget continues this slow, thoughtful growth and improvement.
These are the principles which guided the development of this 2018-19 BCSD budget:
1. Work to maintain and enhance curricular and instructional programs
- Incrementally reinstate, and grow programs and services for students.
- Invest in the capacity of staff to achieve the Goals and Objectives of our BCSD Success Plan.
2. Limit projected expenses and maximize potential revenue.
- Stay within the legislative property tax levy cap.
- Maximize State Aid and other revenue sources.
3. Achieve compliance with state and/or federally mandated programs with minimal additional costs.
4. Continue to maximize operational efficiencies.
5. Increase, maintain, and utilize reserves to support the strategic goals of the District.
- Build in operational contingencies for unanticipated expenditures.
- Continually seek efficiencies in the management of the budget.
- Develop and manage reserve funds to prevent fiscal stress and crisis in the future.
2018-19 Budget Highlights
The proposed "Superintendent's Budget":
- Is within the NYS property tax levy cap.
- Continues the trend of not relying on unassigned fund balance to balance future budgets.
- Maintains and thoughtfully utilizes reserve accounts.
- Manages reserve accounts to promote future fiscal sustainability.
- Complies with elementary class size policy guidelines given current enrollment projections.
- Preserves all existing general & special education programs, as well as extracurricular and athletic programs.
- Continues the slow, incremental enhancement of programs and services for students.
Programmatically, the 2018-19 Superintendent’s budget seeks to:
- Develop programs and practices to increase the inclusion and the success of children within the general education setting.
- Promote consistent best ELA practices across elementary schools.
- Increase resources to promote professional development to achieve SUCCESS Plan objectives.
- Expand opportunities for children to engage in and be excited by the curricular and co-curricular program.
- Increase social and emotional, and college and career planning support for students.
2018-19 BCSD Budget Vital Statistics
- The Total General Fund Expense Budget FY 2018-2019 is $135,030,911 up $5,958,661 from FY 2017-18, or 4.62%.This is due to the addition of $1,800,000 to the budget to address deferred maintenance and repairs. The tax levy increase complies with the tax levy cap of 2.99%. Unspent funds of the $1,800,000 will be allocated to the Repair Reserve at fiscal year-end.
- Each Town’s Tax Levy will be calculated upon using the most recent assessed valuation and equalization rate provided by New York State and each communities assessor. We will be providing this information as it becomes available.
- Sources of Revenue:
- Tax Levy - $121,107,023
- State Aid - $7,297,162
- Misc. Revenue - $4,446,726
- Appropriation of Restricted Reserve - $380,000
- Appropriation of Unassigned Fund Balance - $1,800,000 Repair Exp.
The 2018-19 Budget continues to restore, refine and improve programs and services to achieve the aforementioned goals.
|
Budget Program Restorations, Support, and Growth |
|
|
Position/Expenditure and Rationale |
Amount |
|
(1.0) Maintain class sizes at BoE Policy Guidelines. Enrollment projections: 87 to 83 sections. Two are on the cusp. One is a solid reduction. |
$ (108,000) |
|
Professional Development to support Success Plan Initiatives |
$ 75,000 |
|
0.5 Librarian. Brings BCSD to 3.0 Elementary Librarians (1.0 for MKES; 2.0 shared between other elementary schools) |
$ 42,512 |
|
1.0 ESOL/Bilingual Instruction to provide required services |
$ 108,000 |
|
5 Sections to Support New HS Courses |
$ 130,000 |
|
1.0 Computer Aide for HS to support 1:1 Technology Initiative |
$ 65,000 |
|
.5 Receptionist for the District Office |
$ 37,500 |
|
Enhancements to co-extra-curricular program per Athletic Director priorities |
$ 20,000 |
|
Total |
$ 370,012 |
Student Social, Emotional, College and Career Readiness Support
|
Position |
Rationale |
Amount |
|
1.0 HS Guidance Counselor |
Support students' counseling needs; provide more appropriate caseloads |
$ 108,000 |
|
1.0 Student Assistance Counselor |
Provide social, emotional and substance abuse awareness, prevention, and counseling to HS and MS students |
$ 72,000 |
|
FLMS Dean |
To support students' needs in each house. This increase the MS from 2 to 3 Deans. |
$ 55,000 |
|
Employee Assistance Program |
Support staff mental health and well-being |
$ 16,300 |
|
0.2 Psychologist (Hillside Program) |
Support students' social and emotional needs |
$ 12,000 |
|
Total |
$ 263,300 |
Support More Inclusive Special Education Programs/Continuum of Services
|
Location |
Position |
Rationale |
Amount |
|
FLHS |
0.5 Transition Specialist |
Brings total to 1.0 Transition Specialist |
$65,000 |
|
FLHS |
Learning Specialist, 1.0 |
Add a ninth grade co-teach cohort; going from 24 to 41 IEP students in 9th grade for 18-19 |
$108,000 |
|
District |
Learning Spec./Student Academic Support, 1.0 |
Contingency |
$108,000 |
|
FLHS |
Instructional Assistant, 1,0 |
Ninth Grade SAS+IA model |
$65,000 |
|
WPES |
Instructional Assistant, 1,0 |
3rd Grade Cluster Model for 3 children |
$65,000 |
|
MKES |
Instructional Assistant, 1,0 |
4th/5th Grade Collaborative Model for 10 children |
$65,000 |
|
Total |
$476,000 |
Total Program Budget Restorations, Support, and Growth
|
Programmatic/Instructional Restorations, Support, or Growth |
$ 332,512 |
|
Social/Emotional, College/Career Readiness |
$ 263,300 |
|
Program Development and Enhancements to Support Inclusion |
$ 476,000 |
|
Total |
$ 1,071,812 |
This financial document is a dynamic and living document which is frequently modified during the administration of the budget due to organizational and external factors which must be considered to meet the needs of our students. A long-range financial model is presented in the budget book.
Here is the 2018-19 Bedford Central School District Proposed Superintendent's Budget:
- Preliminary Budget Overview
- Appropriations
- Revenue and Other Sources of Funding
- Instructional Program
- Comparative Data
Several fiscal tools were developed and utilized to assist in designing the 2017-18 BCSD budget.
- Position Control: The District developed a robust tool to enable the Superintendent and Business office to "drill down" to specific programs to identify the cost of such programs. This tool allows the District to continually understand and monitor program costs. The tool will also allow us to respond with accuracy to inquiries from the Board of Education and public.
- Position Analysis: The District developed a tool to allow the Board, the community, and the District to fully understand the full scope of positions employed by BCSD. The tool promotes transparency. It is delineated by bargaining unit or non-aligned personnel categories. The tool defines specific job descriptions and allows us to understand how many individuals are employed in each job description, and to where individuals within job descriptions are assigned. Furthermore, the tool allows us to understand specific duties assigned to individuals assigned to similar job descriptions. This tool is critical to understanding the complexity of our very large organization.
In summary, we are pleased to offer a budget to the Board of Education and Community that is at the allowable NY State Property Tax Cap, limits spending to anticipated revenue growth, meets State and Federal mandates, supports improvements in programs and services for students, and plans to maintain unassigned fund balance at healthy levels. This budget continues BCSD on the path to fiscal health and our continued ability to provide outstanding educational programs for students.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dr. Christopher M. Manno, Superintendent of Schools
UPDATES and INFORMATION