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January 25, 2012
Hilton Central School District Board of
Education is soliciting public input through online Budget
Survey; new constraints on property tax levy, utilization of
fund balance and potential
reduction in programs and services under review
Beginning in December, the
Hilton Central School District began its 2012-13
budget development in earnest with 12 departmental
and school budget committees convening to take a
close look at expenditures and potential reductions
in anticipation of NYS budget constraints going into
effect this year including a property tax levy
ceiling of two percent.
As a result of the cost increases and
the impact of the new property tax cap, the Board of
Education must consider reductions in programming, staffing
and activities, use of available reserves, and/or some level
of increase in the local school tax rate in the 2012-13
school budget. In order to survey community opinion,
the Hilton CSD Board of Education has launched an Online
Budget Survey on the District website which is open through
the end of February at
www.hilton.k12.ny.us .
As the Board of Education works with
administration to develop a budget proposal in conformity
with the requirements of the property tax levy cap, the
wider public may not be aware of multiple factors which are
taken into consideration in any district's budget
development according to Hilton CSD Assistant Superintendent
for Business Dr. Steven Ayers. "Calculation of the property
tax levy cap is complex, involving a number of factors
defined in the law," he said. "For the 2012-13 budget, the
calculated tax cap for the Hilton School District is 4.2%.
Based on the Governor's state aid proposals and the
projected costs of continuing to operate the Hilton School
District's programs in the coming year, the Board and
administration will need to identify approximately $1.4
million in reductions in its programs and services for
2012-13."
Budget Survey input received from the
community was a vital element of the decision making process
in the both 2010-11 and 2011-12 budgets according to Dr.
Ayers. The survey will be live through March 1, 2012.
For further information about the
budget development process, visit the Hilton District
website at
www.hilton.k12.ny.us/budget-profile.htm Comments and
suggestions may be sent to:
communications@hilton.k12.ny.us
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