COPENHAGEN — Copenhagen Central School District's tentative budget will increase spending by 6.6 percent and the tax levy by 5 percent.
It will eliminate an assistant principal/athletic director position created in this school year's budget.
Spending in the tentative budget is $9,090,980, up $560,927 from this year's $8,530,053.
The proposed levy, or amount to be raised by property taxes, is $1,387,518, up $66,072 from $1,321,446. Final tax rates will be unavailable until the town tax rolls are completed in August.
State aid is projected to increase by $565,215, from $6,408,520 to $6,973,735. Other income also is expected to rise by $104,863 to $444,950.
However, the tentative budget uses only $74,777 from the fund balance to keep taxes down. That's down $145,223 from $220,000 in this year's budget.
The district's fund balance has been depleted over the past year by several unbudgeted items, including the $80,000 buyout of former Superintendent Lisa A. Parsons, interim administrative costs and increased legal fees, said new Superintendent Mary-Margaret U. Zehr.
"Our hope is to get this back to a better location," Mrs. Zehr said.
The district also anticipates a slight drop in revenues from the Maple Ridge Wind Farm payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement — from $240,000 to $210,000 — because a few PILOT partners have dropped their tax rates, leading to lower annual payments. Eleven of the wind farm's 195 turbines are in the Copenhagen Central School District.
Overall salaries are actually projected to drop by $71,951, to $3.84 million. However, costs for Jefferson-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services education programs are expected to increase by $163,600, to $1.21 million.
Employee benefits also are to increase by $87,227, to $1.74 million.
Athletic Director Scott Connell, who was an administrative intern during the 2006-07 school year, this year was relieved of teaching responsibilities to handle assistant principal duties. The proposed budget would eliminate the assistant principal slot, returning him to the classroom.
"It had nothing to do with him," Mrs. Zehr said. "I think we were looking for cost savings across the board."
The proposed budget would add a half-time academic intervention services position in the elementary school, she said.
Contractual services for transportation and plant maintenance, including fuel and energy costs, are expected to increase by $46,550 to $441,950.
Debt service is projected to increase by $285,872 to $1.02 million. However, that increase, stemming from past capital projects, would essentially be covered by additional state aid, Mrs. Zehr said.
District voters on May 20 will be asked to approve the tentative budget and propositions allowing the district to transport children to and from Lowville Head Start on existing bus routes and to purchase one bus for up to $92,000.
