Archive: News

Lansing Central School District Business Administrator Mary June King delivered some welcome good news to the Board of Education Monday when she reported that state aid will come to about a half million dollars more than planned for when the board developed the $24,377,906 2010-2011 budget last Spring.  Budgeting for the schools is something of a guessing game, especially in an environment when the New York State budgets are regularly passed months after the deadline.

"Good news that came into my office is that the State finally did come up with a budget," King said.  "We do know somewhat officially now within 1%.  it comes out to about $6.5 million.  However, from that $6.5 million we deduct the Governor's Gap Elimination Adjustment of about $1.3 million.  However they put about a half million dollars back in with federal stabilization funds.  Which leaves us with about a $900,000 deficit from the $6.5 million.  But the Federal Education Jobs Bill is restoring another 43% of our Gap Elimination net, so with that state aid is about $6 million."

King says the State has the option of giving the district 1% more or less than the figure provided.  Because the state budget was not passed before the school district budget had to be solidified, the district based it's aid estimate on the Governor's proposed budget at the time.  She says the difference comes to about a half million dollars, which can be used to offset contingency funds.

The money is considered excess revenue, and does not reduce the tax levy, which is being collected this month.  However, that money is often used to offset the annual budget to lower the levy, and thus lower the tax rate in any given year. 

Superintendent Stephen Grimm said last Spring that his budget would use more reserve money in this year's budget to buy time for the district to develop innovative ways of delivering quality education at a lower cost.  His plan left money for a few future years, but seriously depleted the reserves.  Grimm characterized that kind of spending as like using money in your savings account: once you spend it, it is gone.  The unexpected state aid will give the district some wiggle room over the next year or so to make further cuts and adjustments to restore the district to fiscal health.

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