District Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations Brittnay Spry gives budget update to Jamestown School Board (April 16, 2024)
The Jamestown School Board has officially adopted a $104.5 million budget for the 2024-25 school year that will now go onto voters for final approval.
The spending plan includes no increase in the tax levy.
District Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations Brittnay Spry said since March, the replacement of two lifts at the bus garage for $800,000 had been removed from the proposed budget.
She said a proposition had been passed in November by voters that eliminated the constitutional debt limit for small city school districts, which is defined as any school district partly or fully within a city with less than 125,000 inhabitants, “But one of the areas that it affected us was if you exceed your constitutional debt limit, you could exceed the $100,000 capital outlay. So, our attorneys and our financial advisors have been trying to figure this out because it was passed with a lot of gray in there. So, based on their recommendation and where they feel the language is they recommended we stick with the $100,000 capital outlay project for this year.”
Spry said the district will stay within that $100,000 limit and instead will replace playground equipment at one of the elementary schools.
She added that the district has also been approved for State Bus Incentive Program Funding where that money and the funds received from trading in 18 school buses will result in the ability to purchase a new zero emission school bus at no cost to the district.
Board President Paul Abbott said the district is now in a better financial place to deal with the “ebb and flow” of funding from New York State “If you watch the Buffalo news right now you know there are districts in Western New York that are making some horrible decisions. And I’m glad we aren’t anywhere near that. We’re maintaining all of our positions. I’m encouraged that we’re getting our first zero emission bus at no cost to the taxpayers.”
The Hamburg Central School District‘s budget proposes laying off 17 teachers and West Seneca Central School District‘s budget includes letting go over 47 staff members.
District Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said he’s feeling good about the budget, “This is another budget that maintains the supports put in place for students and we’re seeing positive progress in attendance and especially around literacy. And so our supports are really coming to help our kids and so we’ll be able to continue that. Even with whatever happens at the state level, our future planning allows us to maintain that level of staffing for the benefit of our students and their learning.”
The public will go to vote on the budget as well as a Capital Improvement Reserve Proposition on Tuesday, May 21. Visit jpsny.org for additional information.
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