Bedford Schools to Put Reduced Budget to June 21 Vote
The Bedford Central School District will put a second budget that falls below the tax cap before voters on June 21 after its budget failed to get a 60 percent approval two weeks ago.
Board of Education members made the decision at a special three-hour meeting Wednesday night at Fox Lane Middle School, where Interim Superintendent of Schools John Chambers and his assistant superintendents went over the few options the district had.
District officials could have put the failed budget up for a second vote, but instead chose to present a smaller spending pan to voters after cutting an additional $2.8 million – the lowest amount they could cut and fall under the tax cap. They could have also adopted the contingency budget that would result in the district being forced to cut $4.34 million, which board members looked at as a worst case scenario.
Should the second, smaller spending plan fail, the contingency budget would be adopted automatically under state law.
The revised budget must be adopted by the board by June 1. Board members will likely adopt the new budget at their meeting next Wednesday.
Board members heard a presentation by administrators on where the additional cuts could come from. That list includes 10 certified and 12 classified positions across the district.
The biggest proposed cut would be at the elementary school libraries, where four library media specialists would be eliminated. One librarian would remain and be shared by the five elementary schools.
A secondary science teacher and three custodians could also be cut. An English to Speakers of Second Languages position, middle school literacy coach and elementary school music instructor position are also being considered by school officials as additional cuts.
The failed budget called for 18 teachers to be cut districtwide. In addition to nearly $2.8 million in reductions, it also proposed a tax levy increase of 3.82 percent, nearly three times Bedford’s ceiling of 1.32 percent for next year. That budget received more than 58 percent approval from voters, just shy of the 60 percent required under state law to override the tax cap.
For the June 21 budget vote, the public could cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the five elementary schools. That date is also the evening of Fox Lane High School’s graduation, another concern for district officials. However, the date of the budget revote is state mandated and cannot be changed.
Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage.
