The Jamestown School Board and administrative staff during the March 26 budget work session, when board members got their first detailed look at the $89.7 million spending plan for the 2019-20 school year.
JAMESTOWN – Jamestown school officials will finalize the 2019-20 school budget when they meet Tuesday for a regularly scheduled school board meeting.
Officials started preliminary discussion and review of the nearly $90 million budget last month, but needed to wait until the final state aid totals were known before they could finalize a spending plan.
The state budget was approved on April 1 and under that spending plan it was announced that Jamestown will get a 5.57 percent increase in total state aid for next year. When building aid is removed, it’s actually a 4.3 percent increase. But some of that 4.3 percent increase is restricted to mandated programs like BOCES and Universal Pre-Kindergarten.
When it comes to general operating aid that can be spent at the school board’s discretion – referred to as Foundation Aid in the budget – Jamestown will actually see an increase of about 3.5 percent over the current school year. That’s higher than what was originally proposed in the governor’s executive budget released in January, but still about $250,000 lower than what school officials had said they were hoping to get.
During Tuesday’s meeting, officials will work to close the $250,000 – with options including making cuts or taping into reserve funds.
School board members have already said they remain committed to finalizing a budget that includes no increase to the tax levy.
The April 16 School Board Meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the administration building on Martin Road and is open to the public.
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