Peekskill School Officials to Vote on $78.4 Million Budget Proposal Tonight

The Peekskill Board of Education will discuss and vote on the adoption of a $78.4 million budget proposal for 2013-2014 during tonight’s school board meeting.

Once approved, the public will have an opportunity to vote on the proposal on May 21.

The spending plan, which represents an increase of about 5.49 percent from this year’s budget, would carry a tax levy increase between 3.5 to 3.7 percent, schools Superintendent James Willis said Monday. The levy increase would fit under the state’s mandated tax cap if the budget is approved, according to Willis.

Willis said there are a couple of staffing cuts in the proposal that will be minimized by technological improvements the district is planning. There are also vacant positions that would be left unfilled in the proposal.

“I think we’ve managed to avoid a major loss of staff this year through a lot of hard work and through a lot of adjustments,” Willis said. “But I don’t see things getting better next year if we don't receive the money that was taken away from us through the Gap Elimination Adjustment.”

The Gap Elimination Adjustment is formula used to help close the state’s budget deficit by reducing the amount of school aid distributed to public schools. Willis said the district lost $3.6 million in school aid for next year’s budget due to the Gap Elimination Adjustment.

Willis said the district expects to realize some saving by expanding the Peekskill Alternative Center for Education program to take in more students. This would reduce the amount of students who are transported to BOCES for similar learning opportunities and save the district about $900,000, according to Willis.

Willis also said that a recent contract the district signed with Montauk Student Transport to provide student busing is expected to save the district about $250,000.

The district also plans to bring in additional revenue when an agreement is reached with the Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES to rent out space in the Uriah Hill school building.

About $800,000 from the fund balance would be used toward the tax levy in the proposal.

Willis said the current spending plan includes plans for security enhancements in the district’s buildings.

David Santiago, the district’s director of security, gave a presentation in January that outlined $535,451 worth of security improvements—from closed circuit monitoring systems to staffing—that could be implemented.

Willis suggested that the hold off on those upgrade until next year, but he changed his stance after hearing the concerns expressed by a number of board members.

Willis said the district received a $100,000 grant to help cover the costs of the upgrade this year. Money has also been budgeted for door monitors at each of the district’s elementary schools.

The rest of the security improvements would be completed in 2014-2015, possibly through a capital project. Those upgrades could possibly be eligible for as much as 80 percent in state aid, according to Willis.

The public session of tonight’s Peekskill school board meeting is scheduled to take place tonight in the district administration building, located at 1031 Elm Street. Check here for a meeting agenda.