By Alex Brooks
The Hoosick Falls School Board adopted their 2016-17 budget by unanimous vote at its April 12 meeting. The budget calls for total spending of $23,552,915, which is an increase of 1.8% or $407,502 over the current year’s budget. [private]More than half of the increase came from an increased budget for out of District placements for students with special needs. Other than this item, changes to the staff resulted in a net reduction in cost. The District will save $106,400 by abolishing one counselor position upon retirement, and will save $74,865 by replacing three retiring teachers with staff at a lower salary. Additions to the budget include $32,500 for a teacher aide for a student with special needs, $15,000 for equipment for science and tech programs and furniture replacement, $26,933 to change Attendance Teacher/Dean of Discipline to Assistant High School Principal, and $59,760 to turn one classroom into a Distance Learning Lab.
A number of things helped to make budgeting easier this year. Health insurance increased by only 3.7% from this year to next. Business Manager Pam Hatfield said this is the result of the health insurance consortium in which the District participates getting some traction. She said this is mainly because they have succeeded in standardizing the health plans offered, so the group is buying particular plans in large numbers and the providers don’t want to lose them.
Another factor is a reduction in State retirement assessments, which reduced that line item by $164,000, and lower fuel and utility costs, which allowed both the utilities line item and the Buildings and Grounds line item to shrink.
State aid for operating expenses was up by $379,611 or 3.8%
The combination of reduced costs and increased State aid allowed the District to present a budget to the voters with no increase in the tax levy.[/private]