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The
Mohonasen Central School District Board of Education
unanimously adopted a proposed $41.9 million budget for
the 2008-09 school year during its April 21 regular
meeting. District residents will vote on the proposed
plan on Tuesday, May 20 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at
Mohonasen High School.
Spending in the proposed budget is up by $1.6 million
over the current-year budget. That translates to a 4.065 percent budget-to-budget increase, with an estimated tax levy increase of 2.60 percent.
In addition to the budget, voters will elect two
candidates to serve on the Board of Education
and consider a proposition to replace six school
buses.
A balancing act
“Costs continue to rise each year, but the administration and Board of Education have worked hard to strike a balance between rising costs for taxpayers
and quality education for our students,” said Superintendent
of Schools Dr. Kathleen Spring. “We’re mindful of the
downturn in the economy and the rising cost of just about everything. Our goal was to
develop the best bottom-line budget possible.”
The proposed budget increases are driven by expenditures to: maintain proven programs while expanding programs, staffing and operations that address mandates and needs, and address increasing
costs for health insurance and fuel, which are rising much faster
than the rate of inflation.
With all of this in mind,
Mohonasen has proposed a budget increase that is less than what would be required
if the district had to adopt a contingency
budget.
And, under a contingency
budget, the district would have to cut non-contingency
expenditures, such as student supplies, community use of school buildings and grounds in addition to certain equipment
purchases.
2008-09 proposed budget highlights
Mohonasen’s proposed 2008-09 budget maintains all current
programs and includes new funding for some key areas.
High School additions:
- A part-time (.6) business
education teaching position to meet programmatic and enrollment
needs;
- One full-time social studies and one full-time English teaching position to meet state mandates, growing enrollment and programmatic
needs;
- Expansion of a social work
position from .7 to full-time to meet state mandates and programmatic
needs.
Middle School additions:
- One part-time (.3) computer literacy teaching position to meet programmatic and enrollment needs; and
- Expansion of the existing
alternative education teaching position from half-time to full-time.
Pinewood Intermediate School:
- Expanded Academic Intervention
Services in the form of after-school sessions plus addition of a teacher assistant to work with AIS math students during the school day;
- An additional third grade
section to accommodate enrollment increases; and
- One part-time (.5) special education teacher to support
additional special education
students who are not assigned to collaborative classrooms (consisting
of special education and regular education students).
Bradt Primary School:
- Expansion of the school counselor
position from part-time (.5) to full-time;
- Reorganizing and expansion of the school’s summer program through additional
screening days for kindergartners who register late and an additional three-week transition session for incoming kindergarten students;
- Addition of a part-time (.5) kindergarten position to pilot a full-day kindergarten
classroom for students at risk.
Districtwide:
- A full-time academic administrator
for social studies to address programmatic needs;
- A part-time (.6) English academic
administrator. Currently, the district has one academic administrator for humanities (English 7-12 and K-12 social studies). Since English/Language Arts is an area of ongoing focus, the proposal splits the position in two with a .6 administrator for 6-12 English with supervision of the administrators implementing Language Arts at each elementary school;
- Possible realignment of the aquatics director position to include
teaching physical education;
- A shared part-time monitor (.5) at the middle school and high school during
after-school hours for enhanced safety;
- A part-time Web master
position staffed through BOCES to strengthen the content and timeliness of the district’s Web site; and
- A full-time technology
specialist/integrator to facilitate the rapidly changing needs of classrooms and students to
prepare for the future.
Bus
proposition
On May 20, Mohonasen residents will be asked to vote on a proposition to purchase two 66-passenger school buses and four 22-passenger, wheelchair accessible school buses at a cost not to exceed $430,000. The state will pay for nearly 78 percent of that cost, reducing local taxpayers’ share to approximately $18,920 per year for five years. The cost of buying the school buses would be
bonded and paid back over a five-year period.
Mohonasen is on a regular bus replacement schedule based on mileage, age of the vehicle, repair history and condition.
The bus proposition would not have any tax impact until the 2009-2010 school year. And since the district is also paying off old bus bonds, the new purchase would have a minimal increase on the district’s debt.
Budget
Hearing & Meet the Board Candidates Night set for
May 12
Meet the board candidates and learn more about the
budget on Monday, May 12 at 6 p.m. in the high school
Farnsworth Technology Center (LGI).
Absentee
ballot applications now available — Absentee
ballot applications are available to residents who will be out
of town or unable to vote in person due to illness
or disability at the annual school budget vote on
May 20. The applications must be received in the
Mohonasen District Office no later than 3 p.m. on
Tuesday, May 13. Download
an absentee ballot application here. The actual
absentee ballot needs to be received in the district
office no later than 5 p.m. on the day of the budget
vote, May 20.
Do
you have tax exemption or reassessment questions? — Click
here to find tax exemption deadlines and grievance
information.
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