ROTTERDAM — Mohonasen Central School district residents will be able to vote May 17 on a $60.2 million school budget that includes a 2.74% tax cap.
The district’s Board of Education approved the finalized budget Monday evening. The budget is $3.7 million, or 6.55%, increase from the 2021-22 school year.
The budget would use $1.25 million in unspent funds and $800,000 in reserves. The board had originally anticipated using $450,000 less between both revenue mechanisms but needed to make up for an unanticipated shortfall in Foundation Aid.
“The aid was less than projected in the Executive budget due to the use of an estimated and not actual pupil count (TAFPU) in the initial runs,” said Superintendent Shannon Shine. “We did not realize the original budget was using estimates and so were counting on the additional aid. When the state did the actual/final runs, they replaced the estimated pupil count with the actual, showing a difference of 179 pupils which then accounted for the reduction in aid by $450,000.”
Board member Ericka Montagino asked whether at a future date the board could be given information on how the district compares to the neighboring Schalmont Central School District’s budget.
Residents will also vote on whether to allow the district to purchase three 70-passenger buses, two 24-passenger buses and one 33-passenger bus. The cost to purchase the buses is $645,000. However, calculating in state aid it will actually cost the district just over $32,500 each year for five years.
A budget hearing will be held May 9.
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