HCSD Prepares For Another Budget Season

Outlining his continued objection to a tax cap system that he says still provides too many state mandates and not enough flexibility on a local level; Harrison Superintendent Louis Wool expressed concerns Wednesday evening about the upcoming budget season.

School districts in New York State must present their 2012-13 budgets to the public in May, making the spring a busy season for administrators across the state. This year will be the first time districts must consider a new tax levy cap requiring districts to either propose a budget with less than a 2 percent tax levy increase or ask voters to override the cap.

Wool, who didn't get into specifics about Harrison's budget Wednesday, said the tax cap in it's current form will create some serious obstacles as the district prepares for budgets this year and in the future.

"If we have success in doing this, I don't want anyone to get a false sense of security, this is a short term solution to a structurally broken system," he said. "We will probably weather the first few blows of this bout better than surrounding districts, but not for long."

The superintendent and school board have expressed concern that a tax levy cap without a reduction in state mandates creates a nearly impossible financial situation for local school districts. Wool said Wednesday that reductions in revenue like state aid and property taxes, paired with state mandates, already put most districts—including Harrison—above the tax levy cap.

"At some point we are hoping that our governor and our state legislature will understand that our system is broken, it doesn't work the way it's structured," Wool said.

In Harrison, Wool said property values have decreased by approximately $20 million over the last four to five years, costing the district nearly $7 million in revenue over that time.

All that adds up to another difficult budget season ahead, during which Wool said he will be working with administrators to find solutions that keep the district under the cap without affecting programming. To reach that goal, Wool said the district will again consider ideas like staff retirement incentives and other cost-cutting measures.

"We're building this budget as we always would," Wool said. "What is the best and most appropriate way to support the children who go to school here? What is the best and most appropriate way to respect the taxpayers?"

A more detailed presentation of the budget is expected at the next Board of Education meeting on Feb. 29.

The district's $103.1 million 2011-12 budget increased taxes 3.18 percent, but would have been below the tax levy cap because the levy was less than 2 percent.

Harrison voters approved that budget with a 59 percent vote.