Niskayuna Board of Education adopts proposed 2006-07 school budget Late-breaking state aid figures allow for restorations,  projected tax increase modified During its April 3 meeting, the Niskayuna Central School District Board of Education unanimously adopted a proposed $60,312,574 budget for the 2006-07 school year. The proposed budget is an increase of approximately $4.1 million more than the current year’s budget, and would result in an estimated tax levy increase of 6.59 percent. On Tuesday, May 16, district residents will vote on the proposed 2006-07 budget, decide a bus purchase proposition, and elect two school board members. Throughout March, the Board of Education hosted weekly public meetings during which each area of the proposed spending plan was reviewed and discussed. “The Board of Education and school administrators have worked to develop a budget that is financially prudent and delivers a sound educational plan for academic excellence for the community’s children,” said Superintendent Kevin Baughman. The proposed budget preserves services and staffing necessary to maintain the district’s educational program. In an effort to minimize the tax impact, district officials have proposed eliminating equipment purchases to save $195,710, and reducing staff – including a half-time human resource administrator and three instructional support positions through attrition – to save $95,000. Under the state budget proposed by the New York State Legislature, the district anticipates receiving additional aid that will be used to restore the following: • One staff development position; • A half-time English Language Arts administrator; • A social worker contracted through BOCES; and • One class section at the middle school level District officials will apply a portion of the additional state aid to reduce the initial tax increase projection from 6.9 percent to 6.59 percent. Expenditures aimed at improving district services and academic programs include the district’s technology replacement program, which upgrades classroom technology on a regular basis providing students and faculty with the most current instructional tools, and the purchase of a new comprehensive student information management system that will improve efficiency and enable staff to better serve students in several ways including scheduling courses and preparing college transcripts.