Newfane Central School District’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 calls for a 2% increase in the property tax levy.
The budget, which was adopted by the school board at its April 16 meeting, lists a projected tax levy of $14.31 million. That’s an increase of about $280,000 on the current levy and is under the state-set levy tax cap, according to superintendent Lisa Krueger.
The bottom line of the proposed spending plan is $40.91 million, an increase of about $40,000 over the current budget.
Krueger said the main driver of the spending and levy increases this year is rising expenses generally.
“We are experiencing an increase in our expenses to simply buy the supplies and materials that are needed in our schools and in our classrooms,” Krueger said. “And that coupled with increased student needs — our students have needs both socially, emotionally and academically, that we have to be responsible to responding to.”
The only change to district programming is a “slight reduction” in the summer enrichment program.
“It was a larger program that was funded through Covid stimulus funds. While those are ending, we’re trying to maintain the program, just not to the same size and scope as it was previously…as opposed to slashing or cutting the program,” Krueger said.
There are no changes to staffing in the district, Krueger noted.
The district is slated to receive approximately $21.65 million in state aid, about $663,000 less than it received in FY 2023-2024.
“We get state aid reimbursement for our capital improvement projects and this is a factor that changed our state aid amounts,” Krueger said.
The annual public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. May 7 in the board of education meeting room at the Early Childhood Center, 6048 Godfrey Road, Burt.
The public vote on the budget will take place May 21.