Cazenovia district assistant superintendent Bill Furlong told the school board last week that he has been accruing the pieces of the budget puzzle during the month of January and by the board’s February meeting “we’ll have the tax limit calculation and know right where we need to be.” Furlong said he is currently estimating the state tax levy increase to be about 2.1 percent.
He is also estimating that the district budget will have this year a $400,000 to $500,000 gap to address, with an estimated $925,000 in state school aid funding to be withheld from the district under the state’s Gap Elimination Adjustment legislation. “If we get half of the GEA back that would pretty much eliminate that gap,” Furlong told the board during its Jan. 26 regular monthly meeting. District administration is continuing its work on the budget, and by the board’s next regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 23, there should be the first “real” draft of the budget ready, he said. Also at the meeting, the board unanimously approved a proposal to combine the girls’ junior varsity and varsity lacrosse team with the Hamilton Central School District. Cazenovia District Athletic Director Mike Byrnes said he anticipates only one Hamilton student will try out for the Cazenovia team. The board rescheduled its March 9 work session to March 16 because Superintendent Matt Reilly will be out of town. The board’s regular March meeting will remain scheduled for March 23. Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].