William Floyd’s budget reduces taxes by nearly 5 percent

According to the William Floyd School District, thanks to the state fully funding foundation aid, the district will be adding programs and reducing taxes by -4.86 percent, which represents a reduction in the tax levy of nearly $5 million.

“We are providing tax relief based on the current economy and the increase in the cost of living. After our residents approved a zero percent increase to the tax levy in 2021, our goal for our school community was to, at the very least, achieve that number again because William Floyd received a large increase in foundation aid,” explained superintendent of schools Kevin Coster. “Tax relief is necessary, and we can provide it with a decrease in school taxes for our proposed 2022-23 school budget.”

The $169,082,728, 2022-23 budget was adopted on April 12 with a total of $125,739,347 in foundation aid. This compares to last year’s $145,435,800 budget with $103.623,734 in foundation aid. This year, the average reduction per household will be $302 per year.

Additions include: $93,309 for music, $61,050 for athletics including a new athletic trainer, $245,022 for the CTE program including a new personal trainer and cosmetology teacher, $1.8 and $2.5 million for elementary and secondary schools including new bilingual teachers and phycologists and social workers, and $722,760 for technology including cybersecurity.

“With gas over $4 per gallon, and food, rent and other costs continuing to rise, the board of education wanted to help our community as much as possible,” said board president April Coppola. “So, with this year’s record increase of state aid, we can ensure our students get the best education possible while providing much-needed tax relief to our community. We live here, too, and our community deserves it.”

The annual budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at 7 p.m. in the William Floyd High School library. The annual budget vote and trustee election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the William Floyd High School east lobby.

Also, the propositions on this year’s ballot:

Proposition 1: To adopt the annual budget in the amount of $265,022,650 of the William Floyd School District for the fiscal year 2022-23, and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the school district.

Proposition 2: Shall the Board of Education (the “Board”) of the William Floyd Union Free School District (“District”) be authorized to establish a new capital reserve fund pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law of the State of New York, to be known as the “2022 Capital Reserve Fund,” to pay costs of renovation/reconstruction of interior instructional spaces and/or the purchase of furnishings/equipment for said spaces, in an ultimate amount of $5 million dollars (plus interest earned thereon), having a probable term of ten (10) years and be authorized to raise $5 million dollars to fund such capital reserve fund in the current or future years through various sources including, but not limited to, state aid reimbursement, cost saving measures resulting in unexpended funds or unappropriated fund balance and other legally available funds of the District?

Proposition 3: Shall the Board of Education of the William Floyd Union Free School District be authorized to expend up to $3,500,000 of money remaining from the $39,400,000 previously allocated to a capital projects authorized by the voters on October 30, 2017, in order to expand the scope of that project to include additional lighting for athletic fields and upgrades to classrooms, instructional spaces and equipment, athletic facilities and building upgrades including; roofing, windows, doors, flooring, bathrooms, entrances and safety upgrades?