MCS Voters to Cast Ballots on Budget, Buses, More

Tax Levy up 1.5 Percent, NY State Restores $766K in Aid

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - Middleburgh Central School residents Tuesday will be voting on a $24.9 million budget for the 2024-25 school year that holds a tax levy hike of 1.5 percent.

Facing a budget gap of $1.09 million, school officials received a restoration of $766,431 in state aid when the New York State budget was approved last month. School business manager Robyn Bhend told school board members last month that the $24.9 million budget had been cut by $119,537. Prescription drug costs are going up by 10 percent, not by the projected 30 percent, a reduction of $190,342. Two additions to the budget were $50,000 for an annual trip to Washington D.C. and $20,0605 for BOCES software and fees. The final budget is $587,510 or 2.42 percent more than the current spending plan.

To close the remaining budget gap, the district will: transfer $100,000 from the debt service fund, transfer $55,631 from the workers' compensation reserve, transfer $72,183 from the employee retirement system funds, and transfer $100,000 from the teachers retirement system fund.

The tax levy will go up by 1.5 percent from $153,836 to $10.4 million.

The spending plan includes more field trips, a college in the high school program, and an after-school program at the elementary school. Teaching salaries in the plan are up from $5.18 million to $5.52 million, about 6.58 percent.

In addition to the budget and school board seats, other propositions on the ballot include a bus purchase proposition and a new reserve account proposed for the future purchase of electric buses, which are more expensive than gas or diesel buses, and a repair reserve proposition for $200,000.

Voters will be asked to vote on a bus purchase proposition to buy buses totaling $488,000. The district plans on buying three diesel-powered 65-passenger buses for $162,663 each. The purchases are based on the district bus replacement plan which calls for replacing buses every 10 years. The final cost will be reduced by state aid of 76.1 percent leaving a local share of $23,325 per year for five years. The final costs will also be reduced by trade-in sales of buses that are being replaced.

The repair reserve fund would total $200,000 and the funds would be taken from the 2023-24 fund balance. It would be used for repairs of capital improvements or equipment. The repairs cannot recur every year. This is funded with an excess fund balance reserve.

The capital reserve fund proposition is for the future purchases of buses and vehicles. The proposition asks voters if they want to set up an account for up to (eventually) $2 million for 10 years.. The fund would earn interest and be used for the purchase of electric buses and charging stations in the future. Electric buses, which could be mandated by the state within 13 years, are much more expensive than current gas and diesel buses.

Ms. Bhend has said that new electric buses cost more than $400,000 and districts will be getting state aid over 12 years instead of the current five years.