BY MICHELLE MILLER
STAFF WRITER
Knowing how best to budget
funds has become increasingly
difficult for school districts as
the state wrestles with how to
address its own fiscal problems.
The 2010-11 budget was
the main focus at the Milford
Central School board of Education
meeting last Thursday. As
of now, the district is looking
at a 2.3 percent increase in its
budget, which would increase
the tax levy by 5.22 percent.
However, after going over
the proposed 2010-11 budget
line by line, the board went into
executive discussion to discuss
personnel and possible cuts.
Once the executive session
was done, Superintended Peter
Livshin said board members
wanted to look at a series of
cuts to see how they would
impact the tax levy.
He said there was a proposal
in cutting staff, which will be
talked about at the district’s
next board meeting at 7 p.m.
in the distance learning room
tonight. Livshin said he foresees
having to send letters to some
staff.
Livshin said he believes there
would have been years where
a 5.22 increase in the tax levy
would have passed in the past,
but said this is not one of those
years. He said everyone is feeling
the effects of the failing
economy and are counting
their every penny.
One of the major increases
in the budget is under the
building and grounds category.
There is an $18,000 increase
because the district is required
to re-seal its parking lot and has
to get a building survey done,
which must be done every five
years.
According to Livshin, there
are at least three high school
teachers who are teaching
more than their required coarse
load. He said the school is paying
them extra for the additional
classes they are teaching.
Districts are being hit hard
with employee retirement and
teacher retirement salaries, said
Livshin.
He said these costs are anticipated
to get significantly worse
in the next few years.
Board President Tom Brennan
has said that MCS has had solid
budgets the past several years,
but is acutely aware of the challenges
the district will face in
the next few years.
``The state is suffering and
districts will share that pain,’’
said Brennan.
Brennan said the budget
process this year will be very
difficult, especially as the district
needs to consider possible
reduced aid throughout several
years. He said he believes that
the stimulus money and current
reserves should help MCS
develop a workable budget.
Brennan said there are multiple
factors beyond the district’s
control, most obviously, the
condition of the economy, at all
levels that will impact choices
on a year to year basis.
