School budget proposal has small spending hike

Cohoes district officials yet to release impact on taxes

COHOES, N.Y. >> Cohoes City School District officials have begun the process of putting together a proposed budget for the 2017-2018 school year.

Members of the district’s Board of Education got their first look at the proposed $41.4 million spending plan at their Wednesday night meeting after hosting budget workshops earlier this month. The proposal includes a spending increase of just less than 1 percent, but officials have yet to unveil what impact that will have on taxes.

The current budget included no change in the district’s tax levy, and it is limited in the 201718 proposal to a maximum increase of 1.62% — the equivalent of about $239,000 in spending — by the state cap on property tax increases. To increase taxes beyond that number would require the final budget be approved by 60 percent of voters — instead of the usual simple majority — when they go to the polls May 16.

Highlights of the new plan include the hiring of several new staff members, including a fulltime elementary academic intervention services teacher, a teacher-leader for physical education, health and athletics, a full-time high school safety officer and a full-time cleaner. The district is also planning to offer several new high school courses, including computer science, journalism, Advanced Placement English Language and Composition, Algebra IIA and History of the 20th Century, along with an honors social studies course for the middle school.

District officials are also hoping that they will be able to distribute Chromebook computers to students and help support teachers become Google-certified. The proposed budget will also look to create new clubs for students, such as a high school Geek Squad, and expand middle school technology club. The district will also look to upgrades its facilities through an initiative offered through the New York Power Authority.

According to the proposal, the district is anticipating a $444,404 increase in state aid, a $238,744 boost in property tax revenue and a $45,000 jump in federal aid revenue. Superintendent Jennifer Spring said the district relies heavily on state aid to help fund programs and that the district would welcome Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to help aid public schools make up any funding lost to competing charter schools.

“While we’re in the middle of deliberating the details of the proposed 2017-18 budget with a potentially nominal tax levy increase, we are a district that relies heavily on state aid to fund our programs.” said Spring in an emailed statement. “The governor’s budget proposal called for increased aid to public schools to help with charter school tuition. We would welcome this aid increase, as our charter school tuition has more than doubled

over the last year. With around 40 students from Cohoes attending charter schools, we are responsible for more than $500,000 in tuition.

Unfortunately, the expense of charter school tuition is a significant unknown, as these students, although living in the city

of Cohoes, are not required to register with the district.”

The school board will host several meetings over the next two months to fine-tune the proposal before it goes before voters.

The board will work on the budget at a meeting scheduled for March 30, then are scheduled to vote on adopting the final plan April 12, with a required public hearing to be held May 3.