Greenville Central presents balanced $38.9 million budget pathway, proposes 3.86% tax-levy

The Greenville Central School District on March 30 received an updated budget pathway showing a proposed $38,901,750 spending plan for the coming year and a recommended tax-levy increase from 3% to 3.86% to balance revenues and expenditures.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Todd Hilgenorf told the board the presentation updates figures shown March 9 and reflects recent bills and benefit-rate decisions that have narrowed previously projected shortfalls. "Most importantly on the bottom, this is a balanced budget showing that the expenditures on the left are equal to the revenues on the right," Hilgenorf said.

The presentation lays out several changes that produce the balance. On the expenditure side, Hilgenorf reported a $2,850 increase tied to BOCES billing adjustments and an approximately $10,000 increase to salary projections reflecting ongoing negotiations. Those amounts were offset in part by staffing reductions tied to retirements — three teaching positions and associated benefits, producing roughly $315,000 in savings — plus one unfilled four-hour bus driver position (about $20,000).

Hilgenorf said health-insurance projections improved after the RCG Trust finalized rates at its March meeting. "Health insurance came in at 7% and prescription drugs at 20.5%," he said, noting those final numbers were lower than earlier estimates and allowed a $110,000 decrease versus the March 9 projection.

On the revenue side, Hilgenorf said the levy increase to 3.86% would generate about $163,000 in additional tax revenue. He also described a $40,000 planned transfer from the debt-service fund and using $32,500 of appropriated fund balance specifically for a state-required five-year building condition survey, which he characterized as a one-time use of reserves.

Board members asked whether the building-condition survey receives state aid and whether shifting items into current-year funds would reduce next year’s requests. Hilgenorf said he would check for survey aid and that some intended purchases (for example, athletics equipment and textbooks) were being moved into current-year spending so next year's budget lines could be reduced without cutting services.

There was also discussion about capital reserves: Hilgenorf said the district currently has roughly $1.9 million in capital reserves and that the account has a $2 million cap. He cautioned that repeatedly drawing from the debt-service fund to balance budgets would gradually deplete that savings vehicle.

Hilgenorf said the version presented is the plan staff intends to bring back for adoption at the April 13 board meeting unless members request further changes. The transcript records motions to approve routine meeting items but does not show a formal vote on the budget at this session.

The board heard no public comments or emails on the agenda at this meeting, per the district clerk's report. The district asked that emailed comments intended to be read during meetings be received by 4 p.m. the day of the meeting and be limited to 600 words.

Next steps: staff will finalize any additional clarifications requested by the board and present a budget resolution for the board's consideration April 13; if adopted, the budget would be placed before voters in May.