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The revised budget shows a 1.82 percent decrease in spending from the 2012-13 adopted budget. The tax levy, the amount to be raised by taxes, would be $38,816,955 – an increase of 3.15 percent from last year.
The school district’s tax levy cap was set at 3.18 percent so the levy falls within the limit, unlike the original proposal that would have exceeded the state mandated tax levy cap.
The new revised spending proposal eliminates 20 full-time equivalent teaching assistants at Todd Elementary School, 7 1/2 middle school full-time equivalent teachers (which includes one retiring math teacher who will not be replaced), among other staffing cuts throughout the district.
The former budget presented to Briarcliff district voters that was rejected on May 21 totaled $47.4 million and offered a tax levy increase of nearly 6 percent. It was turned down with 805 supporting votes and 763 opposing votes, failing to gain the 60 percent supermajority it needed to pass. The revote requires only a simple majority.
The full budget breakdown can be viewed online.
If the revised budget does not receive at least 50 percent of the supporting vote, state law requires that a contingency budget must take effect, and the 2013-14 tax levy would have to remain the same as it was in the 2012-13 budget. According to Briarcliff School District, this would require reductions of $1,184,153, which would force the school board to make reductions to school programs that aren't mandated by the state.
The budget revote will be held on Tuesday, June 18 at Todd Elementary School from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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