SCHOOLS: Voters approve budget

By Dave Hill<br><a href="mailto:hilld@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Dave</a>
The Tonawanda News

April 23, 2008 11:04 pm

— The Tonawanda School Board couldn’t ask for a more ringing endorsement of the district’s proposed budget than the one it got Wednesday night.
A projected tax levy increase of 1.5 percent apparently is sitting well with district voters, as only one resident attended the public hearing on the Tonawanda City School District’s proposed $30.8 million spending plan.
Spending for the 2008-2009 budget is 3.12 percent higher than the current year’s, and amounts to a 37 cent-per $1,000 assessed valuation increase.
“We are trying to be mindful of last year’s budget increase because you can’t keep going up and up and up,” said Assistant Superintendent Peter Michaelsen.
Superintendent Barbara Peters lauded the work of the budget advisory team, which included members of the school board and the community. “They did a commendable job maintaining a positive focus on student programs while still holding the line on a budget that allows us to have an extremely reasonable tax levy increase of only 1.5 percent,” she said.
Wednesday’s public hearing was a stark contrast to last year’s, the attendance for which was much larger because several staff cuts were being made. Peters said the district emphasized cutting through attrition in the 2008-2009 budget.
“We worked very hard this year not to cut, and we worked very hard to maintain the integrity of programs, even though we continue to have a declining enrollment.”
Michaelsen highlighted the fact that Tonawanda spends $7,681 per pupil, which is $718 less per student than what similar sized districts do. Compared to all 696 districts in the state, Tonawanda spends nearly $1,500 less, he said.
The school board is meeting at 6:30 tonight in the high school library, 150 Hinds St., to adopt the budget. District residents will vote on it May 20.
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.