Tonight: Chappaqua School Budget Presentation

Chappaqua's preliminary school budget for 2013-14 will be unveiled today and discussed at tonight's school board meeting, setting the tone for what actions the district may need to take to keep its finances in order.

In recent years, the school budget unveilings in Chappaqua have been harbingers of bad news, as waves of job cuts have been announced. While, as of this writing, it is unclear what exactly is planned, a preview offered last month suggests that another year of austerity is likely.

Since rising costs, such as state-mandated pension cotributions, have hit the district since a weak economy became a problem nearly four years ago, 87.66 jobs have been cut. The school district also has to deal with a state-imposed property tax levy cap, which limits the growth of annual tax revenue to the lesser of two percent or the inflation rate, although there are exemptions such as some pension costs and changes to the value of the local tax base.

The school board will meet tonight at 8:15 p.m., at Horace Greeley High School. Click here for the agenda.