School Budget Version 2.0: Board's New Spending Plan Just Shy of $80 Million

The newest version of next school budget falls just shy of the $80 million mark, but board members have warned of program cuts as they seek to limit a tax increase.

An updated 2011-2012 school budget was unveiled last week at the March 30th board of education meeting. The new proposed budget would raise spending by $2.6 million over last year's $77 million budget.

Interim Superintendent Thomas Elliott said the biggest line items include employee salaries and benefits, special education and other mandatory costs.

The latest version of the proposed budget is a compromise from an earlier version revealed in , which would have raised tax lavies by six percent for an overall spending increase of more than $5 million from the previous year.

That version of the budget kept services and staffing at current levels, but some on the board, as well as members of the public, said such a large hike would be unrealistic in today’s tough financial climate.

“We are in a very dire situation," Board of Education President Jim Taylor said last month. "Ever since we have started this downturn in the economy and watched the value of housing go down, the situations were worse and worse."

Homeowners in Port Chester have watched their houses plummet more than $327 million in assessed value, from a combined $3.7 billion to $3.4 billion this year.

While their property values sink, their tax bills rise. A chart provided by the district shows tax bill increases would range from single-digits to several hundred dollars. For example, a homeowner on King Street with a house valued at $582,000 would pay an additional $677 in school taxes under the new budget, while a homeowner on Ellendale Avenue would pay $89 more this year.

Under the new budget, homeowners would pay between $6,000 and $9,000 in school taxes this year. Some say that's too much, while others say they're willing to compromise.

“A 3.44 percent of change in spending [from last year] isn’t too bad. We want to maintain the academic excellence in the schools and don’t want to go back 25 or 30 years,” agreed Port Chester resident, Linda O’Connor.

It has yet to be determined what services will be on the chopping block in the next few weeks, but board member Carolee Brakewood hinted that residents may not be too happy when the details come in.

“There comes a point where you can’t cut fat from a bone,” she warned.

The fact of the financial matter: The school board wants a budget to be passed by taxpayer and must be privy to the fact that economic times are hard.

“Everyone is working hard to do what’s best for the students, teachers and the community," said Port Chester Middle School teacher Virginia Ellis.

Weigh in on proposed cuts: The Board of Education will present a detailed, line-item budget at a meeting on April 7.

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