At last Tuesday’s Pine Bush Central School District Board of Education meeting, Michael Pacella, assistant superintendent for business, revealed that the district’s preliminary budget for next year is $125,019,659 an increase in more than $3.4 million over the current academic year.

The current preliminary budget includes original rollover projections of current programs. It also features changes for the following after the rollover projection: year two plan to offer Spanish at the middle schools, special education adjustments as well as technology and supplies for new science rooms at Pine Bush High School.

However, the current preliminary budget does not include the board of education approved Pine Bush Teachers’ Association [PBTA] retirement incentive numbers or budgetary adjustments regarding BOCES. Other items still being reviewed are including but not limited to COVID-related needs for instruction and operation, staffing adjustments as well as legal and insurance matters.

At this stage in the budget process, the total tax levy limit adjusted for exclusions is $62,991,710, a 2.25 percent increase from the current school year.

Although the preliminary budget for next year is $125,019,659, the maximum budget amount to conform to the tax cap is lower. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal for state aid is $57,818,388, the tax cap is $62,991,710 and miscellaneous local and other revenue totals $1,850,000. The sum of these values equals the maximum budget amount of $122,660,098.

If the district were to freeze their current property tax levy, their proposed budget amount would decrease. The current tax levy is $61,604,219 and when added to the estimated state aid and miscellaneous local and other revenue, the proposed budget amount would equal $121,272,607.

To close the presentation, Pacella gave an update on the budget process moving forward.

“The state law says the state’s budget has to be in place by April 1, so we’re hoping that gets done in a timely fashion,” he said. “We are going to incorporate possible savings from the PBTA retirement incentive and finalize analysis of additional costs for BOCES and other expenditures. We need to review the expansion of in-person learning based on guidance from the appropriate health departments, which has always been a moving target since last March and continues to be a moving target.”

A presentation of a proposed budget will be presented at the board of education meeting on March 23 and the final budget will be presented for approval and adoption at their meeting on April 13. The meetings will be live-streamed on the district’s website beginning at 7 p.m.