The Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education recently approved the tax levy for the 2015-16 school year with a tax rate increase that was lower than expected due to an increase in assessments for the five towns the district covers.
At the Aug. 24 meeting, the F-M Board unanimously voted to adopt a levy totaling $57,258,897, which will bring an actual tax rate increase of 0.84 percent for all five towns the district (Manlius, DeWitt, Cazenovia, Sullivan and Pompey). That brings a tax rate of $25.88 per $1,000 of assessed value.
According to Mike Vespi, assistant superintendent for business services, the tax rate of .84 percent is much lower than the projected tax rate of 1.89 percent when the budget was first adopted in May due to the assessment values for all five towns increasing. The budget that was approved by voters for 2015-16 totaled $78,917,391.
Additionally, the F-M board voted unanimously to accept the preliminary fund balances, which included an appropriated fund balance of $725,000 for the 2015-16 budget. The appropriated fund balance is used to offset the funds that need to be raised for the budget by a tax levy.
“We once again performed well,” said Vespi. “Going forward there should be a positive impact. We’ll have a big advantage on our capital reserve.”
Also at the meeting, the board:
—Voted to allow there to be the option of electing a second vice president on the board of education. Member John Cucinotta said that in the past, the board has allowed there to be the option of a second vice president in addition to the president and vice president of the board, as long as someone has interest in running for that position.
“It’s something we’ve done in the past from time-to-time and I think it would be beneficial to make it optional for future boards,” said Cucinotta.
Board member Timothy Crisafulli asked if there were any disadvantages to having this option, but Cucinotta and member Elena Romano said there has not been any disadvantages in the past and that it has shown to be beneficial.
The board voted unanimously to make the option of a second vice president part of the board regulations.
—Elected officers for the board for the 2015-16 school year. Marissa Mims and Jeff Brown were nominated as president, and Brown won with a vote of 5 to 4.
John Cucinotta and Edin Ljuca were nominated as first vice president, and Cucinotta won with a vote of 6 to 3. Ljuca and Kim Swanson were nominated as second vice president, and Ljuca won with a vote of 6 to 3.
Each new officer was sworn in after the voting took place.
—Held a public hearing regarding the code of conduct for the school. Superintendent Craig Tice explained at the beginning of the school year, and the school must hold a public hearing on the matter. Tice said the school removed all references to corporal punishment because that practice had been abandoned awhile back.
The board voted to approve the revised code of conduct.
Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].
