Manlius (WSYR-TV) – The Fayetteville-Manlius School District is proposing a budget that would cut about 14 staff positions in an effort to keep the tax levy increase at 1.81 percent.
The new spending plan reduces the increase the district initially projected, 7.71 percent. The district has been able to keep the levy increase to under 2 percent in recent years and wanted to continue that trend. Superintendent Corliss Kaiser said the district did not want the taxpayers to shoulder an increase of almost 8 percent.
Under the revamped plan, the district would use $915,000 of Federal jobs money, spend nearly $2 million of its fund balance, and decrease the budget by $2.6 million – which includes cutting 14.5 positions. The district will also reduce its after-school bus run from five days a week to four and eliminate money for replacing athletic and music equipment.
The governor’s proposed budget gives F-M about $16 million in state aid, a drop of 16 percent from its current level. The district is expecting to receive less county sales-tax money, while salaries and benefits increase. Meanwhile, there has been no increase in the amount of money the Federal Government is sending to school districts.
In addition to position cuts, the superintendent volunteered to freeze her salary for the second time in the past three years and administrators agreed to a 2 percent increase, rather than a 3.5 percent increase. Teachers also agreed to a 2 percent increase, rather than their historical 4 percent increase.
The F-M school board is expected to vote on the budget proposal on April 11. A public hearing is scheduled for May 9. The budget vote is May 17.
