School Budget Proposal for 2020-21Budget Hearing

Community & Staff Presentations

Absentee Ballot Vote - June 9, 2020

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Niskayuna Strategic PlanEstablished 2016

During the 2020-21 school year, we will...

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➔ Maintain all current elementary and middle school teachers and add two elementary class sections as part of the Class Size Management Plan.

➔ Continue High School teaching staffing based on student course requests

➔ Preserve all current school social workers - a dedicated full-time social worker at all schools K-8 and two at the high school

➔ Continue all current music, art, world language, engineering technology programs

➔ Expand the 1:1 Chromebook program to grades 3-12

➔ Continue to focus on professional development in areas such as interdisciplinary learning, project-based learning, cultural responsiveness, restorative practices and leveraging technology as a teaching and learning tool.

June 9 Absentee Ballot Budget

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➔ Absentee ballots will be mailed to approximately 18,000 qualified voters and should be received by June 1. Envelopes with pre-paid return postage will also be provided.

➔ Qualified voters are individuals who are U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older, and have resided in the district for at least 30 days prior to the vote.

➔ If you are a qualified voter and you do not receive a ballot by this date or if you meet the definition of a qualified voter but do not believe you will be on school district’s poll list, please contact: District Clerk Cynthia Gagnon, cgagnon@niskyschools.org or (518) 377-4666, ext. 50706.

➔ Absentee ballots must be received by the district by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9.

➔ Ballots can be mailed or placed in boxes that will be located at the main entrance of Niskayuna High School and at the entrance to the District Office. These boxes will be available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. no later than June 4.

Budget Overview

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➔ A preliminary budget gap was closed through spending reductions and increased use of fund balance.

➔ The Tax levy increase does not exceed the cap. With a 2.15% increase, simple majority of voter support required for approval.

➔ Given potential for state aid loss during the year, we proactively anticipated a 10% reduction.

➔ We build the budget from scratch each year based on needs, priorities and goals identified by administrators, faculty members and advisory groups.

Restoration of Positions: May 18 School Board Meeting

Area/Category FTE Area/Category FTE

Elementary High SchoolArt 0.2 Art & Design 0.8

Music 0.625 Business 0.5

Classroom Teachers 2.6 English 1.2

Social Workers 2.5 Math 0.85

Middle School Music 0.55

Middle School Assistant Principal 1.0 PE 0.6

VA Grade 6 Teaching 1.0 Science 0.6

VA Grade 7 Teaching 0.85 Social Studies 1.2

Iroquois Grade 7 Teaching 1.4 Technology 1.2

Library 0.2 World Language 0.6

Special Education 0.7 Security Monitor 1.0

Total Restorations - 20.175 FTE

Workforce ReductionsPosition FTEHR Director 1.0

PPS Director 1.0

Clerical Assistant/Supervisory Clerical Assistant 3.17

Payroll Clerk 1.0

Transportation Utility Worker 1.0

Groundsworker 1.0

Environmental Tech 1.0

Teaching Assistant 1.84

Educational Assistant 1.0

High School Counselor 1.0

HS Teacher Leaders (English, Math, PE, Science, Social Studies, World Language) 2.4

High School PE (Sectioning) 0.3

High School Math (Sectioning) 0.5

High School Business (Sectioning) 0.1

Total FTE Reductions 16.31

Non-Personnel Reductions from Preliminary Budget

Area/Category Savings

BOCES $390,707

Contractual $675,660

Equipment/Materials/Supplies $522,507

Transfers $25,000

Personnel (Non-FTE) $157,389

Other Items $13,238

Non-Personnel Reductions $1,784,501

Budgeted Expenditures 2020-21

Category 2019-20 Budget2020-21

ProposedDifference

% of

Budget

Salaries and Benefits $62,068,661 $65,091,273 $3,022,612 71.7%

Equipment, Books, & Materials $2,781,661 $2,567,940 ($213,721) 2.8%

Contractual Items $5,784,620 $6,159,276 $374,656 6.8%

BOCES $5,610,584 $5,783,425 $172,841 6.4%

Other Items

(Includes Debt Service)$11,222,948 $11,194,706 ($28,242) 12.3%

Totals $87,468,474 $90,796,620 $3,328,146 100.0%

Three-Part Budget2019-20 Budget 2019-20 Proposed % of Budget

Program $62,433,995 $65,868,044 72.5%

Administrative $8,112,035 $7,954,510 8.8%

Capital $16,922,444 $16,974,066 18.7%

Program 72.5%

Administrative8.8%

Capital18.7%

2019-20 2020-21 Difference % of Revenue

State Sources $24,003,766 $23,193,298 ($810,468) 25.5%

Federal Sources $250,000 $250,000 $0 0.3%

Other Local $2,927,546 $2,885,165 ($42,381) 3.2%

Property Tax Levy $58,381,872 $59,639,263 $1,257,391 65.7%

PILOTs $144,290 $146,908 $2,618 0.2%

Applied Fund Balance $1,548,000 $4,191,986 $2,643,986 4.6%

Applied Reserves $0 $390,000 $390,000 0.4%

Interfund Transfers $213,000 $100,000 ($113,000) 0.1%

Totals $87,468,474 $90,796,620 $3,328,146 100.0%

Budgeted Revenue for 2020-21

What Happens if the Budget is Defeated?

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A budget “at the cap” requires a simple majority of voters for approval (50% + 1 vote)

Under usual circumstances, if the budget is not approved:

● The district can revise the budget and hold a second vote on a designated day statewide.

● If a second vote is defeated, the district must adopt a contingent budget - with no allowable tax levy increase ($0).

We don’t know if there will be a second vote day this year.

Contingent Budget = 0% Tax Levy Increase

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Tax Levy at the Cap $59,639,263

Current Year Tax Levy2019-20 $58,381,872

DifferenceAt Contingency, This Would Need to be

Made Up by Further Reductions in Workforce

$1,257,391Equivalent of 16 positions

Additional Ramifications of Contingency

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Contingent budgets come with specific spending restrictions.

“Ordinary contingent expenses are those necessary to provide the minimum services legally required to:

● Operate and maintain school buildings and the educational program;● Preserve the property of the district; and● Ensure the health and safety of students and staff.”

Spending Not Allowed in Contingency

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All non-contingent items of expenditure must be removed from a contingency budget.

Examples of non-contingent expenses include (but are not limited to):

● Most equipment

● Certain student supplies

● Salary increases for certain employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement

● Community use of school facilities that result in any district expense

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Projected Tax Increase$250K Property

Projected Tax Increase$350K Property

Projected Tax Increase$500K Property

Tax Levy Increase Annual Monthly Annual Monthly Annual Monthly

2.15% $105 $9 $147 $12 $210 $18

Estimated Tax Bill Increase

Also on the Ballot: Bus Purchase Proposition

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➔ Proposed purchase of eight 72-passenger gasoline-powered buses as part of the long-term replacement plan

➔ Trade-in provides a small offset for the purchase amount

➔ Total amount not to exceed $960,800

➔ Replacement plan helps maintaining a safe and efficient bus fleet with a stable tax impact; Debt is retired as new purchases are made

➔ Approximately 67% of bus purchase costs are reimbursed by state aid

Board of Education Election

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Four candidates are running for two seats on the Board. They will be listed on the ballot in alphabetical order:

➔ Timothy Brennan

➔ Sarah Rogerson

➔ Ronald Sandroni

➔ Jennifer Zhao

Capital Project vs. Operating Budget

➔ The debt service from the capital project we are planning has NO impact on next year’s budget.

➔ All of the debt service in the 2020-21 budget is for projects that have already happened

➔ The capital project that we have been discussing would not have an impact on the operating budget until at least 2023-24.

➔ We are focused on a long-term plan that allows us to keep debt levels stable while improving our facilities.

Investing in Our Students, Our Future

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In the last five years, we have:

➔ Implemented an Elementary Class Size Management Plan

➔ Significantly strengthened social emotional support In all schools

➔ Increased English as a New Language Support

➔ Implemented a High School Alternative Education Program

➔ Expanded & strengthened our Special Education continuum

➔ Increased IT & Buildings and Grounds Capacity, Safety Enhancements

➔ Implemented a tiered Response to Intervention Plan to support individual academic progress

➔ Implemented Professional Development, Curriculum Development, Program Reviews

➔ Added extracurricular and athletic opportunities and increased necessary support for student athletes

➔ Maintained and enhanced world-class visual and performing art programs

Back to School: Assessing and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19

Compensatory Education: Planning for going Back to School, Summer 2020 & the Long-Term➔ Assessing individual student gaps and providing targeted support➔ Credit recovery ➔ Supporting students with varied needs

Mental Health Considerations➔ Students, Family, Staff

Technology

➔ Planning to be 1:1 Grades 3-12

Facilities & Transportation

➔ Social distancing

➔ Cleaning procedures

The actions on this page will take place

within available resources.

We are a future-focused community.

✔ Unwavering commitment to students and learning

✔ Equity

✔ Multiple pathways

✔ Mental health of all

✔ The new three C’s: Compassion, Connections, Civility

✔ Being flexible and understanding; Learning together from every situation