Schools

Yorktown Board of Education Expected to Adopt 2013-2014 Budget Monday

The $93.5 million spending plan plan calls for a tax levy increase of 2.49 percent.

Board of education trustees for the Yorktown Central School District are expected to adopt the 2013-2014 school budget at Monday night's meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Ralph Napolitano's $93.5 million spending plan plan calls for a tax levy increase of 2.49 percent and a tax rate increase of 2.52 percent. The budget-to-budget increase is 1.46 percent. Napolitano walked through the budget during a presentation at the school board's last meeting on March 19.

"Over the last five years we have had many opportunities to reduce spending in our district," Napolitano said. "And we've taken those opportunities."

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Napolitano gave examples of how the district has reduced spending over the last five years including eliminating more than 100 positions because of declined enrollment and attrition, 'right-sizing' the district, idling the French Elementary School building, bringing out-of-district students back into their programs, deriving cost efficiencies from capital projects, upgrading infrastructure to reduce telephone, light, heat, power and water costs.

For the 2013-2014 school year, Napolitano said class size guidelines will remain constant and staff reductions will be consistent with enrollment decline. He said the school athletic program, clubs and organizations will remain intact, as will the music program on all levels.

Find out what's happening in Yorktown-Somerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ongoing issues district officials continue to deal with are state and federal mandates, tax challenges by business owners, declining state aid and depletion of cash reserves, Napolitano said.

School officials said the district is receiving $14.2 million in state aid in 2013-2014, down from $16.4 million in 2008-2009.

Tonight's meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Mildred E. Strang Middle School cafeteria. Find the agenda here.

Residents of the school district will go to the polls on May 21 at Mohansic Elementary School. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 


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