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Why
is Scotia-Glenville so dependent on state aid?
Scotia-Glenville is a mostly residential community with a
scattering of business property. We don’t have malls,
retail shopping plazas or other vigorous growth in the tax
base. Other communities, such as Colonie, Niskayuna and Clifton
Park, have a faster-growing tax base and can sustain cuts
in state aid. In the coming school year, state aid will account
for 37.5% of Scotia-Glenville’s budget, down from 42.7%
this year.
Didn’t the state restore aid
to Scotia-Glenville?
Yes but it was not a FULL restoration. The state budget restores
about $490,000 but still ends up being about $405,000 less
in basic operating aid than this year.
Why did the Board of Education cut
spending by $1 million already?
The Carry Forward budget presented in February, which funded
all current programs and paid for rising health and other
costs, would have raised taxes by 19%. That was unacceptable.
What about class sizes?
Class sizes at the elementary level will range up to 26 per
class in grade 5 at Lincoln and up to 24-25 in grades 4 at
Glen-Worden, Lincoln and Sacandaga. There will be an average
of 28 students in grade 6. Above that, class sizes in grades
7-12 may range as high as the low 30s depending on the course.
With a contingency budget, class sizes would rise further.
How will the educational program
suffer from those $1 million in cuts?
Most of the program remains intact despite the reductions.
Some of the cuts were prompted by declining enrollments in
classes at the secondary level or by drops in enrollment.
The Board of Education trimmed programs without eliminating
them (see listing here). Programs
like Transitional Kindergarten, Advanced Placement courses,
adult/continuing education, interscholastic athletics and
other current offerings remain in the budget – for now.
What if the budget is defeated June
3?
The Board of Education has two choices:
• Present another budget
to the community. If that budget is defeated, the board MUST
adopt a contingency budget (see below).
• Adopt a contingency budget.
By state law, a contingency budget may increase spending by
1.9%. That does not even cover the expected increases in health
care and property insurance.
In Scotia-Glenville’s case, an additional $1 million
would be cut from the budget. Those cuts may include deeper
cuts to staff (as many as 25 teaching positions and non-instructional
positions); varsity, junior varsity, modified and intramural
athletic programs; Advanced Placement courses; Transitional
Kinder-garten; Adult Educaton; after-school activities; and
a host of other program cuts.
What is the history of taxes at S-G?
Since 1998, S-G’s tax rate has risen an average of 2.7%
per year before savings from the state’s STAR program.
As well, the Board of Education in August has historically
set a LOWER tax rate than the rate projected at the budget
vote.
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Questions and Answers
