NORTH SYRACUSE -- Voters will head to the polls across Central New York Tuesday to have their say on proposed school budgets. The polls will open at every district in the area, except for the Syracuse city school district.
Many superintendents say this has been one of the most difficult budget years of their careers. While state aid is declining, pension costs are going up, and schools have to deal with unfunded mandates.
In the North Syracuse Central School District, Superintendent Dr. Jerry Melvin says his district has lost $20 million in state aid over the last three years. That has made for some difficult decisions.
The proposed budget calls for a tax rate increase of 5.2% It would also eliminate 67 positions.
"We have a responsibility to our taxpayers, but the same time, we're responsible to the children of our school district," says Melvin.
Melvin says he hopes voters will approve the proposed budget because he says the district's per pupil cost is one of the lowest in Onondaga County.
In the West Genesee School District, Superintendent Chris Brown says the district's proposed budget carries a tax rate increase of 3.8% He says it would eliminate 52 positions.
Brown says the entire staff agreed to a wage freeze. That saved $900,000.
"Of the 52 reductions that we made, that number would have been well over 100 without those concessions," says Brown. "So it was a great effort all around from all of our people, and I'm truly appreciative."
If any budgets are voted down on Tuesday, that district's board of education will have to decide whether to resubmit the same budget for another vote, submit a revised budget for a vote, or adopt a contingency budget.
