pPOTSDAM — Spending in next year’s budget for the Potsdam Central School District is expected to grow due to increases for faculty and social worker positions, but officials expect to come in under the state-mandated tax cap./ppAccording to a draft budget posted on the district’s website, total spending for 2016-17 is projected to be $31,706,708, up $1,873,293, or 5.9 percent, from $29,833,415 in 2015-16. The budget has a proposed levy of $12,776,517, which would be an increase of $284,886, or 2.28 percent, from $12,491,631 in 2015-16. No tax rate will be proposed until the board receives its final aid amount from the state, according to District Business Manager Laura A. Hart. While not final, that number is projected to be $16,104,812./ppMs. Hart said the tax cap is higher this year than the 0.12 percent mandated by the state, chiefly because its capital expenditure exclusion is larger than average due to capital project work in 2015-16. That amount, which factors into calculating the tax cap percentage each year, came out to be $87,000./pp“That building aid is something we can add to the tax levy calculation,” she said. “The difference from last year to this year in that calculation was larger, so we are able to increase the tax levy.” /ppAccording to a recent news release from the state comptroller’s office, the percentage of school districts initially planning to override the state’s property tax cap in 2016-17 has nearly doubled over last year, but still remains relatively small, at 36 of 601 districts reporting, or 6 percent. Last year, 3.5 percent of districts reporting indicated they planned to override the cap./ppThe same release said initial reports indicate nearly 13 percent, or 76 of 601 districts reporting, are facing a “negative” levy limit, and would need to cut taxes by a total of $18.6 million, or an average of 1 percent, to stay within their levy limit. If that’s not possible, they must seek an override, which requires 60 percent voter approval./ppDistrict Superintendent Joann M. Chambers said Wednesday that the board plans to increase four part-time faculty positions in English, music, art, and physical education, to full-time next year for a total increase of $137,000, and add a district social worker for $92,703, to satisfy requests made by families of students at all three of the district’s schools./ppReinstatement of a fourth-grade Learn to Swim program for $12,187, as well as an increase in hours for a reading coach, expected to cost $19,516, have also been proposed./ppMrs. Chambers said the Board of Education will continue discussions on the budget at a finance committee meeting Tuesday. A public forum planned for 6:30 p.m. March 22, will be followed by the board’s regular meeting./pp“We’ll open with the public forum on the budget, so that will be an opportunity for people to ask questions and see where we are,” she said./ppShe said the board plans to approve the budget at a special meeting April 18, prior to the April 22 deadline./p
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