Niskayuna board adopts school budget with 5.8 percent tax hike

PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Goot

After months of deliberation, the Niskayuna Central School District Board of Education adopted a $76.3 million budget late Tuesday with a 5.76 percent tax levy increase.

The proposed 2013-14 budget would increase spending by $1 million from this year’s budget. Because the levy would increase by more than the district’s 4.66 percent state-mandated limit, it would require approval by a supermajority of 60 percent of voters at the polls on May 21.

The district had started with a $6 million gap between revenues and expenditures, but officials cut $2.5 million in spending. The equivalent of nearly 22 full-time positions would be eliminated under this budget, including about 10 teachers, eight administrators and four support staff.

The budget also relies more on surplus. Matthew Bourgeois, assistant superintendent for business, said each year the district underestimates revenue by $1.25 million and overestimates spending by $1.25 million. The district is going to reduce each amount by $355,000, which will bring the tax levy increase down to 5.76 percent.