North Colonie enters the 2010-11 budget season coping with the greatest fiscal constraints in memory. With the State now facing a multi-billion dollar deficit, and the Governor recommending difficult cuts in school aid, it is clear that business as usual is no longer an option.

On Tuesday, May 18, North Colonie voters will consider a $91,150,000 budget proposal for 2010-11 that calls for a projected tax rate increase of 3.6 percent. Due to the unprecedented economic troubles the state is facing, North Colonie had to make difficult and painful decisions regarding the future of certain programs and staff in order to eliminate the gap between increasing expenses and
decreasing revenues.

Due to rising costs such as health insurance, pension contributions and contractual salary increases, combined with a 12 percent cut in state aid under the Governor’s state proposal budget, the Board entered its budget process with a nearly $4 million gap between projected expenditures and revenues.

The budget proposal is the result of a comprehensive review that was conducted by the North Colonie Administration and Board of Education. Throughout its budget work, both the Administration and Board of Education identified more than $3 million in reductions and savings across the district in an effort to bridge the gap between expenses and revenues.

The proposed budget eliminates 12 instructional positions - 7.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the elementary level, 1.4 FTE positions at Shaker Junior High School and 3.6 FTE positions at Shaker High School. In addition, five non-instructional positions will be cut, including three elementary building assistants, as well as numerous reductions in equipment and technology and several afterschool, extracurricular and enrichment opportunities. For a full-list of reductions and cuts, click here.

“Every reduction that was discussed was one of great difficulty for all involved,” Superintendent Randy Ehrenberg said. “These decisions were very painful to make. However, the cuts had to be substantial in order to fall in line with the Governor’s aid proposal.”

The reductions mean that some class sizes will increase, and some extracurricular activities will be diminished.

If North Colonie were to close this gap through taxes alone, it would require an 11.34 percent tax increase, which district officials deemed unacceptable. A tax increase alone would not be the ideal solution in addressing the shortfall. In order to moderate the potential increase in local taxes, the Administration and Board of Education examined possible areas where reductions and cuts could be made.

“While some opportunities will be lessened, we can manage these reductions within a high-quality program,” Ehrenberg said. “While the district may look a little different in the coming years, we remain committed to our students.”