Chatham Central Schools budget for 2010-2011

At yesterday's Board of Education meeting the Superintendent presented the proposed budget for the next school year.

The Superintendent and the business office have been working very hard to keep costs down in light of declining enrollments and expected significant and ongoing reductions in state education aid. They have come up with a number of savings and efficiencies in various areas but have also found it necessary to reduce staff, partially through resignations and retirements but also though layoffs. By reconfiguring schedules and leveling class sizes, the district's core educational values will not be negatively impacted.

Overall, as a result, the total budget proposed represents a decrease from the current year of approximately .6%, but due to reductions in state aid (and the amount of the reductions has not yet been fully determined by the state), the tax levy will have to make up the difference.

As the budget proposal now stands, the tax levy would increase by 2.75%.

Some people have expressed concern that this is too high, since inflation this past year was negligible in many parts of the economy (although this may be misleading since part of the low inflation was due to falling housing prices). Should the Board need to reduce the tax levy increase, it would mean further cuts, most likely in staff, since this is the largest component of the budget.

Please take a moment to express your opinion (which is anonymous) by taking the survey on the left. I will forward the results to the Superintendent and the Board for their guidance. You can, of course, post your thoughts to this blog as well (also anonymously if you choose).