BOE reviews transportation and facilities budgets, tax cap at 3%

PINE PLAINS — Continuing the conversation about the 2022-23 district budget, the Pine Plains Central School District (PPCSD) Board of Education (BOE) opened its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 16, for presentations on next year’s transportation and facilities budgets.

BOE members met via Zoom at 7 p.m. Assistant Superintendent for Business Monica LaClair brought the BOE up to speed on next year’s budget calculations.

General budget figures

For the 2022-23 school year, she said Pine Plains’ tax cap is going to see about a 3% increase, marking a dollar increase of $756,325 from the 2021-22 budget.

Total draft revenue projections for next year have been calculated at $34,103,687, a $1,002,112 (or 3% increase) from the current district budget.

This includes $8,290,219 in state aid; $25,466,368 in the tax levy; and $347,100 in miscellaneous district costs.

Total draft expenditures for 2022-23 were calculated at $35,080,135, indicating a $1,396,021 (or 2.41%) increase from the current school year. Overall, LaClair said Pine Plains is looking at a budget of more than $35 million.

Transportation budget

Presenting next year’s transportation budget, Transportation Supervisor Lauren Ross gave a detailed outline of the district’s current transportation staffing, route structure and vehicle fleet.

Looking to the 2022-23 school year, many of the budgetary impacts the Transportation Department have encountered can be linked to cost increases and equipment conditions. These include rising fuel costs; rising vehicle maintenance and repair costs; an increase of Special Education placements and out-of-district transportation requests for private and parochial schools; an aging fuel tank and pump system; and antiquated tracking and pumping software and routing software.

In total, the draft budget for the Transportation Department has been calculated at $667,000, an $11,900 increase from the 2021-22 budget.

Ross also said the department is proposing to purchase two 71-passenger gasoline school buses for $233,210 and surplus two of its 22-passenger buses.

Facilities budget

Presenting next year’s proposed Facilities Department budget, Director of Facilities Richard McKibben gave an overview of the department staffing and what facilities the department cleans and maintains.

Next year’s draft budget for the department’s operations was calculated at $566,660 (a $30,360 increase from the 2021-22 district budget) while its maintenance budget was calculated at $335,200 (a $5,800 increase from the 2021-22 district budget). 

Providing a list of anticipated challenges for the 2022-23 school year, McKibben placed utility costs at the top. Additionally, he gave an update on the PPCSD’s five-year plan in terms of what’s already been accomplished and what he hopes to accomplish during the 2022-23 school year and in the next five years.

Highlights of the five-year plan includes an ongoing capital project, the Cold Spring Early Learning Center pavement project and fire alarm system upgrades at all three school buildings.