Rhinebeck residents to vote on $40.13 million school budget

School district residents on May 21 will vote on a proposed $40.13 million 2024-25 budget carrying a 3.12% increase of $1.21 million.

The spending plan was adopted last week during a Board of Education meeting.

Under the budget, there would be a $34.08 million property tax levy representing a 3.7% increase of $1.22 million.

The recently approved state budget will continue the full foundation aid formula used last year, allaying concerns ahead of the school board vote to approved the plan.

Assistant Superintendent Thomas Burnell said on Tuesday that the reduction initially proposed in the state budget would have meant revising district plans.

“We were slated to lose $530,000 and that money was restored, but (it) would have meant we couldn’t go forward with Universal Pre-K,” he said.

“Universal Pre-K is a new item that was added to the budget this year,” Burnell said. “It’s a great program that we’re looking forward to piloting this year, and if successful, we’ll continue on with the program. We took a little bit of a chance … that there was a 95% chance that foundation aid would be restored.”

There are questions about how contract negotiations will play into changes in the budget following the district vote.

“The one thing that’s unknown is we’re in negotiations with the teacher’s association,” Burnell said. “Their contract ends at the end of this (academic) year.”

Changes in the budget include:

• Operations at $1.56 million for an 18.34% decrease of $349,355.

• Maintenance at $706,420 for a 5.64% increase of $37,710.

• Central services at $2.74 million for a 9.22% decrease of $278,080.

• BOCES administrative charges at $4.18 million for a 5.54% decrease of $244,787.

• Supervision of regular school at $1.18 million for a 3.33% increase of $38,200.

• Supervision of special schools at $235,810 for a 4.39% increase of $9,910.

• Professional development at $2.05 million for a 4.89% increase of $95,730.

• Regular school instructional costs of $10.03 million for a 3.6% increase of $348,401.

• Programs for students with disabilities at $3.49 million for a 2.08% increase of $70,900.

• Occupational education at $14.02 million for a 1.68% increase of $231,351.

• Transportation at $3.07 million for a 12.83% increase of $349,230.

• Employee benefits at $11.09 for a 4.52% increase of $479,450.

• Debt service at $2.09 million for a 1.51% decrease of $32.170.