Credit: Mary Jenkins
On Wednesday, April 17, the Pine Plains Central School District Board of Education approved its proposed $37,689,744 budget for 2024–25, a 3.5% increase from the previous year’s.
Of the money, 81% is earmarked for school programs, totaling $30,449,339 — an increase of 5.8%. The remaining outlay is split between administrative and capital costs, about $3.5 million each, an 8.8% and 1.0% decrease from last year, respectively.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed 2024–25 budget included a recalculation in Foundation Aid funding, the main source of state financial support for the school district. Superintendent Brian Timm said Hochul may cut an expected increase from 4.1% to 2.8%. “That funding is important,” he said. “We just don’t know yet how much we’ll get.”
Credit: Laura Rafferty, PPCSD Business Official
The Governor’s initial budget also eliminated the Hold Harmless program, which guaranteed that more than 300 eligible school districts — including Pine Plains — would receive at least as much funding as in the previous year. Such a change, in addition to less Foundation Aid, could cost the PPCSD up to $1.67 million in state support.
Timm reassured meeting attendees that he did not anticipate the cuts to be too deep in the state’s final budget, which he expects to be approved in the next few days. “A conceptual agreement [between the governor and the legislature] is in place,” Timm said. “We have been promised that Hold Harmless will be back in play. If it is reinstated, we won’t lose the entire $1.67 million.”
The BOE also approved the proposed purchase of three new 65-passenger buses, totalling $461,970. “Our bus routes are challenging and hard on buses: they have to cover 140 square miles,” said Timm.
A public hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. on May 8 at the Stissing Mountain High School library.
On May 10, the BOE will send district community members a letter detailing the proposal. The budget vote will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 21 at the high school cafeteria.
Perhaps PPCSD should review its physical plant and determine how it could be more efficiently utilized without impacting the children’s education. The ratio of square footage per student must be greater than the norm in similar districts . even after the addition of the Pre K program. I understand that Cold Spring’s current population is half of what it was when it was K – 5 . It is easy to see we have three buildings , that based on our school district’s historic enrollment , are in the aggregate significantly under utilized .
I don’t know if the administration and board are studying rationalizing the physical plant but with the changes in NYS School Aid being directed down state it might be something that they should consider in order to maintain current standards without over burdening the tax payer. There was a demographic study done some years ago that predicted the downward trend in population that the district is experiencing . Therefore , current situation should not come as a surprise.
As I stated , the savings would help to maintain curriculum without over burdening the taxpayer, For example the investment in bussing cited in this article might be lessened by having programs more geographically centralized, . There are likely other savings to be had ,as well as , assisting in short staffing problems.
Seeing what I see , I would be surprised that a building study would not reveal savings and other improvements for the district.
Hopefully this type of study is under consideration.
Henry Boehringer