On May 16 residents approved a $60,312,475 budget for the 2006-07 school year.
The budget passed by a vote of 1,808 to 1,318. Voters also approved the purchase of six buses and one vans by a vote of 2,035 to 1,020. Barbara Mauro was re-elected to the Board of Education, while Robert Winchester won his first term on the Board of Education.

Budget details:
See final tax rates, set by the Board of Education in August 2006.

Major cost increases
The budget includes a spending increase of 7.48 percent, or $4.1 million.
“Board of Education members and school administrators worked hard to draft a budget that maintains the integrity of our educational programs and retains high-quality staff in order to continue our strong commitment to academic excellence,” said Superintendent Kevin Baughman. “We looked carefully at the programs and services offered by the district to make sure we maximize the community’s investment in children.”

• Pension contributions: State-mandated employer contributions to retirement systems have increased significantly in the past five years. During the 2002-03 school year, the district’s contribution to the instructional pension fund was 0.43 percent — less than one-half of one percent. It has rapidly increased since that time primarily because of a low-performing stock market. Next year’s contribution is expected to be $2,278,000 or 8.6 percent. It appears that the pension fund contribution rate should begin to stabilize in the near future.
• Health insurance: Like other employers, the school district has seen health insurance costs rise sharply. In 2006-07 costs are estimated to increase $750,000. In the past five years, the cost of providing health insurance has increased nearly $2 million. During the past few years, employee bargaining units have agreed to increased employee contributions to their health plans thereby sharing the rising cost of health insurance.
• Energy: Most everyone is familiar with the jump in fuel prices for heating our homes and driving our cars. The district is spending $260,000 more next year for natural gas to heat its buildings even with efforts to save in this area through participation in a statewide school energy purchasing consortium.
  The district will continue to face higher energy costs until the new building project is completed and each school is equipped with more energy-efficient heating systems.
  The cost of diesel fuel to operate the district’s 60-plus buses transporting students to and from school will increase an estimated $94,000 next year.
  It is also costing more these days to light the district’s classrooms and offices. Despite measures to save money through an energy performance contract – under which inefficient electrical equipment such as old ballasts were replaced – the district is paying higher prices for electricity.
• Salaries: Instructional and non-instructional salaries will increase 4 percent for the 2006-07 school year. Because education is labor-intensive, salaries and benefits account for 76 percent of the school district’s total budget.
  The building project approved by voters last January will not result in any increased cost in the 2006-07 budget. The district has paid off previous debt, thus offsetting the initial cost of the building project.

Budget reductions
While expenditures such as retirement systems contributions, health insurance and energy are mostly dictated by outside forces, district officials have taken steps to exercise control from within. The partnerships listed below have helped reduce district costs.

• An agreement with the Town of Niskayuna has allowed the school district and town to share certain machinery and equipment.
• A purchasing consortium among the seven Schenectady County school districts provides increased purchasing power on products and services such as trash removal, pool and custodial supplies, bus parts and heating equipment at more competitive pricing.
• The coordination of transportation with nearby school districts has helped save on the cost of busing students to out-of-district placements.
• The district will be working with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2006-07 to determine the energy efficiency of our buildings and identify ways to reduce costs.

Budget additions
The proposed budget provides for new technology that enhances learning and promotes student success.

• Student information management system
  A new student information management system to better coordinate student data. The current system consists of several archaic databases, making it difficult and time-consuming to extract specific student information. The new database would provide immediate access to assessment information allowing teachers to customize instruction for students in need of extra help.
  This new system will be centralized, meaning all student information can be updated and accessed through one database. This single point of entry for information will improve the method in which the district generates test data, special reports, and student scheduling and transcripts, among other tasks. The new system will help the district better serve students by improving efficiency, and in the long run save the district money.
• Professional development
  Research has shown that sustained professional development of instructional practices enhances student learning. The proposed 2006-07 school budget maintains staff development personnel who will continue to provide training for faculty and classroom support staff in instructional strategies which have proven to be successful.
• Instructional technology
  The district intends to apply $83,000 toward the continuation of its technology replacement plan, which upgrades classroom technology on a six-year cycle, ensuring that students and teachers are equipped with the most current instructional tools.
  Plans also call for an increase in Internet bandwidth throughout school buildings. This will provide better, faster connections to the Internet improving access for students to research projects and complete assignments.

For additional information about the 2006-07 budget, download the May 2006 budget edition of Your Schools (note: this is a PDF document).

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