MILLBROOK — The Millbrook Central School District (MCSD) Board of Education (BOE) met on Tuesday, May 19, via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing regulations. It also held a virtual public hearing that night that was live-streamed via YouTube on the 2020-21 district budget; questions about the fiscal document from the community were submitted to the district office prior to the hearing.
BOE President Perry Hartswick swiftly opened the meeting and approved the consent agenda. The minutes of the March 5 meeting were also accepted.
There were amendments made to the BOE meeting schedule and the BOE budget calendar for 2020-21. These changes were necessary due to COVID 19; the meetings will continue to be held on Tuesday evenings.
The total general fund budget amount for 2020-21 is $30,980,759 (compared to 2019-20’s total of $29,999,745), with the cost for total instruction for the next academic year calculated at $15,368,854 and total pupil transportation calculated at $2,396,085. Total debt service for 2020-21 is calculated at $1,873,150; the total salaries line for regular school comes to $6,951,333 while the total chief school administration budget line comes to $267,119.
Upon the recommendation of Superintendent of Schools Laura Mitchell, a motion to adopt the budget was approved by the BOE.
Details of the budget can be found on the district website, www.millbrookcsd.org. According to the website, “New York state mandates that schools release their proposed budget in a three component format.”
The breakdown of those three components is as follows:
Program Component
• $22,549,936, which accounts for approximately 72.79% of the district’s total budget.
“The Program Component includes expenses associated with: All salaries and benefits of instructional staff [classroom teaching personnel — teachers and teacher aides]; instructional supplies and materials and all instructional services [BOCES programs and programs for students with disabilities]; interscholastic sports and extracurricular programs; transportation [First Student contract]; curriculum and instruction planning and development, and student-testing services; library-media services, computer assisted instruction, guidance services, health services, psychological services, academic intervention services and summer school.”
Administrative Component
• $3,932,439, which accounts for approximately 12.69% of the district’s total budget.
“The Administrative Component includes expenses associated with: All salaries and benefits of school and Central/District Office administration and staff; supplies and materials for school administrators, Central/District Office staff and Board of Education; payroll, human resources, benefits and central data processing; auditing, legal services, tax collection, purchasing and public information services.”
Capital Component
• $4,498,384, which accounts for approximately 14.52% of the district’s total budget.
“The Capital Component includes expenses associated with: All salaries and benefits of custodial, maintenance and Buildings and Grounds staff; Supplies and materials for custodial, maintenance, and Buildings and Grounds staff; bonds, capital and lease expenses associated with district facilities; court judgments, tax certiorari proceedings and court orders/claims; utilities and rental costs; maintenance and improvements costs for all district facilities.”
The board also approved the 2020-21 Property Tax Report Card at its virtual meeting.
Voting on the 2020-21 budget and for the two open positions on the BOE will take place on Tuesday, June 9; ballots were sent out by mail to eligible voters already; no in-person voting will take place due to the pandemic; qualified voters should check with the district clerk if they have not received a ballot yet.
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
