OXFORD – Oxford taxpayers will face an estimated 1.99 tax levy hike based on the tentative budget adopted by the school board Monday. The proposed spending plan, which voters will be asked to approve on May 17, totals $16,935,666. According to Superintendent Randy Squier, that figure represents a $87,354, or .51 percent, decrease in spending over the current year’s budget.
“I am optimistic the community will understand this budget proposal to be responsible, and a good faith effort to balance the needs of our students with the what our community can afford to support,” Squier said.
Oxford, like all districts across New York, is facing steep reductions in state aid in the coming year, while at the same time seeing pension contributions and employee benefit related expenses climb.
“We are faced with a loss of aid totaling $411,000,” the administrator reported. Coupled with an anticipated $380,000 increase in retirement system contributions and a $148,000 jump in health care premiums, the district started this year’s budget process with a $939,000 gap.
That gap doesn’t include any salary increases. As it started its budget planning, the district had open contracts with all three of its collective bargaining units. According to Squier, agreements have now been reached with two of the three – the Oxford Teacher’s Association and the administrator’s union. Details of the contracts have not yet been released.
Oxford will need more than a 1.99 percent tax levy increase to balance the budget. The tentative spending plan will also require the district to make a number of personnel and program cuts, as well as dip into its reserves.
The plan will eliminate a total of five jobs, including one part- and two full-time teachers, one LTA and one teacher’s aide. In addition, three positions – an art teacher and two teacher aides – will be reduced to part time.
Program cuts will include a $7,226 reduction in spending for the business office; a $40,847 decrease in the maintenance/operation budget; a $9,625 drop in professional development spending; as well as an estimated 20 percent decrease in materials, supply and contractual items.
The special education component of the budget will also be cut by $163,840. According to Squier, this is a result of both staff reductions and fewer students requiring BOCES services.
Similarly, the counseling services budget will see a decrease of $115,492. The superintendent said this is the savings realized by two retirements which occurred late in the 2009-10 academic year.
The athletic budget will also be slashed by 16.5 percent, or $29,872.
“Athletics were reduced through offering less teams next year due to declining enrollment and reduced supplies,” Squier reported. The field hockey program will be cut outright, and JV teams eliminated for both football and girl’s soccer.
To help mitigate further cuts, the district will apply $522,000 from reserves – reaching into its fund balance for $452,000 and the employee liability reserve for $100,000.
According to Squier, the district has tried over the last several years to make the budget process as “transparent” as possible. Budget documents have been regularly posted online, and the public has been able to provide their input both at board meetings and via the website. These comments, he reported, have been both “respectful and thoughtful.”
“Everyone wants what is best for students and has been willing to look at creative solutions to provide what is needed to support all students with less revenue,” he said.
According to the superintendent, this is the second consecutive year in which the district has cut spending.
“Even as we have lost just under $1 million in state aid in the last three years, we have been able to maintain support and opportunities for students,” the superintendent said. “This budget now begins to chip away at what I consider a quality education.”
Over the last three years, the district has been forced to cut 23 full-time positions – including two administrators jobs, 14 teachers, two Licensed Teacher’s Assistants and five full-time aides.
And things are likely to be even more challenging over the next couple of years. Oxford saw only $56,260 restored to its state aid in the final state budget, and they have already been told foundation aid will only increase by the rate of inflation next year. The district also may lose some of its categorical aids, he explained, as enrollment continues to decline.
At the same time, of course, they will be held to an even higher academic standard by the state education department, which continues to press ahead with its reform agenda.
Community members will have the opportunity to learn more about the proposed 2011-12 budget at the district’s annual budget information meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 5 in the Primary School’s Multipurpose Room.