Saving money is the name of the game in the Fulton County school districts.
Johnstown and Mayfield are paying off bonds in their proposed 2015-2016 budgets, while Broadalbin-Perth is reaping the benefits of cutting back significantly on its use of electricity, natural gas and fuel. Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville negotiated a new health insurance contract to reduce costs.
But even so, taxes are projected to go up if voters approve the budgets on May 19.
By the numbers
Read through complete school budget proposals from these Fulton County districts:
• Gloversville Enlarged School District
• Greater Johnstown School District
Residents will also get to vote on school board candidates, as well as propositions for purchasing new buses.
School officials have provided their full budgets, which are posted on The Daily Gazette website, dailygazette.com, and most officials offered an explanation of their biggest increased costs and spending reductions. However, Johnstown Business Manager Alice Sise is meeting with auditors all week and declined to explain her school’s budget.
A look at the budgets:
Northville
$10.6 million
Tax levy: increasing by 2.03 percent, $118,650
Spending increase: 0.55 percent, $57,000
Increased spending: new piano, more band instruments, elementary school 3-D printer, new career and college application software, stipends for lead teachers and teacher collaborators, more career class choices, one special education placement out of district for $160,000
Increased positions: middle school math teacher, teaching assistant
Cuts: reductions in pension contributions and insurance costs
Other items on the ballot: two buses and one minivan purchase for $170,000
Greater Johnstown
$33.3 million
Tax levy: increasing by 1.77 percent, $137,100
Spending increase: 9.8 percent, $3 million
Increased spending: BOCES services, raises, materials and supplies for teachers, contractual teaching costs, health insurance
Increased positions:
Cuts/Reductions: equipment, contractual spending in curriculum development, contractual costs for programs for students with disabilities, paid off bonds
Other items on the ballot: purchase of three school buses for $369,400 and a proposition to establish a savings account for future bus purchases
Mayfield
$16.98 million
Tax levy: increasing by 2.7 percent, $191,500
Spending decrease: 2.52 percent, $439,100
Decreased spending: a reduction in debt payments because the district has finished paying off a 15-year capital project loan
Increased positions: none
Cuts: none
Other items on the ballot: purchase of three buses, and a proposition to establish a savings account for future bus purchases
Broadalbin-Perth
$32.85 million
Tax levy: increasing by 2.23 percent, $304,100
Spending increase: 4.29 percent, $1.35 million
Increased spending: increased pension contributions and health insurance premiums
Increased positions: none
Cuts: the district is using less energy (fuel, natural gas and electricity)
Other items on the ballot: purchase four buses for $462,000
Gloversville
$63.4 million
Tax levy: increasing by 1.6 percent, $224,600
Spending increase: 2.76 percent, $1.7 million
Increased spending: health insurance, BOCES, freshmen academy, switching to block scheduling, more academic intervention services, expand elementary summer learning academy, add middle school summer school classes
Increased positions: truancy officer going to full-time, one middle school reading teacher, two high school teachers
Cuts: one elementary school teacher (attrition)
Other items on the ballot: none
Wheelerville
$4.4 million
Tax levy: increasing by 1.57 percent, $34,000
Spending decrease: 4.5 percent, $208,000
Decreased spending: paid off a bond early, using savings
Increased positions: part-time coordinator of curriculum and assessment
Cuts: none
Other items on the ballot: $70,000 bus purchase
OESJ
$18.8 million
Tax levy: increasing by 1 percent, $47,000
Spending increase: 1.48 percent, $274,000
Increased spending: increase in special education students
Increased positions: none
Cuts: switching health insurance plans, for a savings
Other items on the ballot: set up a new savings account for capital projects.
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