Middleburgh Central School board members last week got their first look at a complete first draft of the proposed 2008-09 budget.
Business administrator John DeSanto outlined the $20.28 million first draft, which includes many requests that will not be included in the final plan, as well as a contingent budget.
The first draft of $20.28 million is 7.1 percent larger than the current budget of $18.9 million.
Mr. DeSanto called this proposal the “worst-case scenario,” and said cuts will be made.
“It’s going to be less than that,” he said.
Board members did not make any changes Wednesday but one joked that they would have to bring in their “red pens” for cuts at the next budget worksession.
If the district has to go to a contingent budget, it would total $19.8 million, which is 4.7 percent higher than the current budget.
A contingency budget, which would go into effect automatically if voters turned the budget down twice, would raise the tax levy by $247,920 or 3.1 percent from $7.9 to $8.1 million.
Any increase over the contingency budget would increase the tax levy, Mr. DeSanto said.
The first draft of the budget is about $470,000 more than the contingency budget but Mr. DeSanto said he does not expect the levy to be increased by that amount.
While board members prepare to trim the budget, some numbers still have to be finalized, the business administrator said.
Health insurance costs may rise by $193,600 to $2.6 million but Mr. DeSanto said that total is not final.
In addition, state aid, according to the governor’s proposal, is up by over $500,000 but that could change, Mr. DeSanto said.
The state aid proposal had less foundation aid but gave MCS $269,748 for high tax aid.
The state legislature usually increases the governor’s proposal but Mr. DeSanto noted that last year the proposal was reduced.
District officials are also not sure about funding for the after-school program. The program, which is run through Cooperative Extension, costs about $200,000 a year to run, including $52,000 for transportation.
MCS officials put in $75,000 to fund a scaled-back after-school program in case the state funding is not approved. If state funding is approved, the $75,000 can be used somewhere else in the budget.
In addition to higher costs for fuel, other increases in the first budget draft include salary hikes and new staff including a full-time bus driver/grounds-keeper, school psychologist and an account clerk/typist position.
Also, MCS will be coming up with a list of items that may be taken out of the upcoming Excel building project after the architects expressed concerns that bids may come in higher than originally anticipated.
The $4.1 million project, which was approved by voters last March and will begin this summer, is slated to go to the State Education Department this week.
Superintendent Michele Weaver said the project architect is confident that because of rising costs, that the bids on the project may come in higher than originally anticipated.
The project is expected to go to bid next month.
Ms. Weaver said the board needs to come up with a list of deductibles or items that could be taken out if the bids come in too high.
She said the district needs to have a plan before the project goes out to bid.
The architect suggested revising a staircase or removing some ventilation work in the library.
MCS officials said removal of the ventilation work will not be considered.
The project includes work at both schools, and an addition at the high school.