Media Advisory

FOR RELEASE: Monday, August 11, 2008

Scotia-Glenville tax rates slightly lower than projected at May budget vote;
lower STAR reimbursements from the state

The Board of Education today has adopted school tax rates that are slightly less than was promised during the May voting on the 2008-09 school budget. At the time, school tax rates were estimated to rise by 3.35 percent in Glenville.

The rates will be effective with school tax bills that will be due in September.

The Board of Education adopted the following tax rates:
• Glenville: $20.20 per $1,000 assessed value – 3.34% increase
2007-08 Glenville rate: $19.55 per $1,000
• Charlton: $25.6 per $1,000 assessed value – 0.47% increase
2007-08 Charlton rate: $25.14 per $1,000
• Amsterdam: $171.74 per $1,000 assessed value – 2.4% decrease
2007-08 Amsterdam rate: 175.96 per $1,000

For a typical Glenville homeowner with a $160,000 assessment, taxes would rise by $104.40 next year BEFORE reductions from the state's STAR school tax reduction program.

"We are grateful that our community supported the 2008-09 spending plan that will continue to advance education opportunities for the 3,000 Scotia-Glenville students who walk through our doors every day," said Superintendent Susan Swartz.

Changes to the state's STAR program

Because of changes to the state's STAR tax reduction program, the amount of reduction is being decreased by 10 percent to Glenville property owners. In the past, the most the STAR reductions could decline in a given year was 5 percent. That was changed this year.

That is tied mostly to a decline in the state's equalization rate for Glenville. The rate determines how close home assessments are to market home prices. The state's equalization rate for Glenville declined from 90 percent last year to 85 percent in the coming year.

The exemption for Basic STAR will decline to $33,400 ($37,120 in 2007-08) and the Enhanced STAR exemption will drop to $63,240 ($70,270 in 2007-08).

For the 2008-09 school year, the basic STAR savings will be $675.03 and the Enhanced STAR savings (for homeowners over age 65) will be $1,277.72. During the 2007-08 school year, those savings were $726 for Basic STAR homeowners and $1,374 for Enhanced STAR homeowners.

Assessments lower

Despite Scotia-Glenville's conservative approach to budgeting, the town's tax base was $6.7 million less than the estimates provided by the town assessor in the spring. Because of that difference, $2.135 million of fund balance was required before setting tax rates. In the spring, the district had estimated it would use $2.0 million in fund balance.

For further information, contact Susan Swartz, superintendent, at 382-1215 or Robert Hanlon, Communications, at 386-4343.