Pleasantville Proposes $57.7M Schools Budget, Bond Issue for HVAC System

Pleasantville School District voters will be asked to consider a proposed $57.7 million budget and a $2 million bond this May that would help pay for a new HVAC system at the middle school.

The 2022-23 spending plan proposes a $3.8 million spending increase that carries an estimated levy hike of 1.72 percent, below this year’s 2 percent cap. Last year the tax levy increase was 0.59 percent.

“The reason the tax levy is higher this year is because of the increase in employee salaries and benefits,” said John Chow, the district’s assistant superintendent for business. “We are proposing to have additional staff and expanded technology support services.”

Additional staff proposed includes a permanent substitute teacher for both Bedford Road School and Pleasantville Middle School, a secondary level science teacher and two assistant coaches. There would also be the addition of one support staff position at the district office.

Staff salaries would increase 1.93 percent, totaling $28.2 million, and employee benefits are expected to rise by 5.72 percent to $12.9 million.

Chow said district officials will have firmer tax calculations by Apr. 5, after district officials have completed their presentations on various aspects of the proposed budget to the Board of Education.

If voters approve the $2 million bond, those monies will be applied to the costs for the middle school heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Some existing district funds are already earmarked for the project.

Chow said the work is expected to be completed with no additional cost to taxpayers. Already-approved funds include $1,367,661 received from the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief; $600,000 from the $8.9 million bond approved by voters in May 2019; about $710,000 from the district’s capital fund from the current and next year’s budgets; and $1.3 million from the unassigned fund balance.

The bond provides the extra money needed for the $6 million project. Another proposition to establish a capital reserve fund for the money will also be on the ballot in May.

The older middle school HVAC system became a concern earlier in the pandemic when air filtration was critical. If approved by voters and the state Education Department (SED), the work would be done during the summer of 2023.

The district’s borrowing would be amortized over 15 years. Building aid from the state will reimburse the district 51.6 percent of the project’s cost excluding the $1.3 million from the American Rescue Plan, Chow said.
“Every year we will get money back from the state, which will cover our bond’s interest and the principal payments,” he said. “That bond will pretty much be tax-levy neutral.”

Regarding the budget, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tina DeSa said next year’s proposal is reflective of long-range planning.

“Combined with using federal funding, this budget meets the needs of the district by way of completing a much-needed HVAC project, expanding instructional technology support services and strengthening and updating our technology infrastructure, all the while preserving all our current programming and coming in under the tax cap,” DeSa said. “It is an overall win for everyone, our students, staff and the community.”

Upcoming school board meetings will include budget presentations for the high school, middle school and elementary school on Mar. 15; the instructional budget for special education, technology and athletics on Mar. 29; and the non-instructional budget, including operation and maintenance and information on revenue, the tax cap and contingency budget on Apr. 5.

Formal adoption of the budget by the board is scheduled for Apr. 19, and the required public hearing is set for May 3.

On May 17, voters will cast their ballots on establishing the bond and capital reserve fund, budget and Board of Education member election.

Abby Luby

Abby is a local journalist who has reported on breaking news for more than 20 years. She currently covers community issues in The Examiner as a full-time reporter and has written for the paper since its inception in 2007. Read more from Abby’s editor-author bio here. Read Abbys’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/ab-lub2019/