2012-13 Budget News

Fort Plain BOE adopts 2012-13 budget

The Fort Plain Central School District Board of Education unanimously adopted the $18,600,000 school budget for 2012-13 on April 17. The proposed spending plan, which calls for a year-to-year spending increase of 2.48 percent, would carry a tax levy increase of 0.99 percent. The spending plan goes before voters on May 15. (full story). To see a copy of the budget brochure, click here. Also, here is a copy of the Legal Budget Vote Notice.

What are the realities of school budgeting?

     REALITY #1 is that much of a school budget is “untouchable.” For example, a school district cannot cut courses that are required for graduation, eliminate services that are mandated by the state and federal governments or reduce benefits that have been negotiated as part of an employee contract. There are also some parts of the budget that are fully state aidable, such as textbooks and library books. Reducing those lines would only result in a cut in revenues and would save little or nothing for local taxpayers.

       REALITY #2 is that most of the money spent in education is on “people costs.” Every program the district offers, every service it provides, and every task it carries out on behalf of students requires people to do the actual work. That means if school districts are to cut their costs by a substantial amount, they can not avoid cutting people – which not only hurts those whose positions have been eliminated but also adds to the country’s unemployment problems.

       REALITY #3 is that some cuts look good on paper but don’t work out in practice. For example, the elimination of one teaching position can in some cases do more than just raise class sizes. In a district as small as Fort Plain, it can actually make it impossible to schedule every student into their required courses.

2011-12 Budget News