School Budget

 

Click image for additional tax information.  American Recovery Plan GRANTS Budget Brochure 2023-2024 BUDGET VOTE Tuesday, May 21, 2024 7:00 A.M.-8:00 P.M.   Lyncourt School District Conference Room, 2707 Court Street, Syracuse, NY Budget Hearing Tuesday, May 14, 2024@ 5:30 p.m. Lyncourt School DeAngelis Auditorium. Please email or call District Clerk Beth Cusick for details:315-455-7571 for details on an absentee ballot.  If you are interested in running for the Board Of Education the deadline for submission of petitions for the BOE is 4/22/2024.   For more information, please contact Beth Cusick, at (315) 455-7571 ext. 7 or bcusick@lyncourtschool.org.

Our district has a long-standing history of maintaining programs, while keeping the district financially stable. We strive to provide every student with an excellent educational journey and create a fiscally responsible school budget for our community. As always, with your continued partnership, we focus on our Mission and are committed to educating all learners to reach their full potential. Highlights of what the budget helps support for the students and Lyncourt community ♦     A personalized experience in a small atmosphere ♦     Pre-kindergarten programs for 3 and 4 year olds ♦     Enhanced reading programs ♦     One-to-one technology devices ♦     Small class sizes ♦     Youth recreation program ♦     Community services available onsite for families ♦     High school choice ♦     Academic Intervention Services (AIS) provided for kindergarten thru 8th graders ♦     Preservation of the historic school building and exceptional school grounds ♦     High public usage of facilities for recreation and wellness activities ♦     Day care services before/after school ♦     Lyncourt Senior Citizens meeting place Voting Information - Q&A Who is Eligible to Vote? - You are eligible to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older, and have been a District resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote.  No pre-registration is required although personal identification may be requested.  Please call the main office at 315.455.7571

 

Common Budget Terminology

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Administrative Budget Component: One of three categories that must be reported by school districts. These expenditures include: office and administrative costs; salaries and benefits for certified school administrators who spend 50 percent or more of their time performing supervisory duties; data processing; supplies; legal fees; property insurance; and school board expenses.

Appropriated Fund Balance: Any portion of a district's fund balance from the previous fiscal year that is applied as revenue to the district's following year's budget. This reduces the amount of money that must be generated by taxes.

Bond: A written promise to pay a specified sum of money, called the face value or principal amount, at a specified date in the future (the maturity date), together with periodic interest at a specified rate.

Budget: A plan of financial operation outlining the estimates of proposed expenditures for a fiscal year and the proposed means of financing them.

Budget Calendar: The schedule of key dates that the school district, Board of Education, and administrators follow in preparation, adoption, and administration of the budget.

Capital Budget Component: One of three categories that school districts must show in their proposed budgets, this covers: all transportation capital, debt service, and lease expenditures; legal judgments and settled claims; custodial costs and all facility costs, including service contracts, supplies, utilities, maintenance, repairs, construction, renovation, debt and leasing costs. 

Capital Outlay: An expenditure that is generally more than $20,000 and results in the ownership, control or possession of assets intended for continued use over long periods of time. Examples: the construction or acquisition of buildings and equipment, initial equipment of buildings or additions or the initial acquisition of library books and research periodicals for a new school building.

Contingent Budget/Contingency: Under state law, school boards can submit a budget to voters a maximum of two times. If the proposed budget is defeated twice, the board must adopt a contingent budget (or go to contingency) with a ZERO percent tax levy increase. Under a contingent budget, there are no capital, court order/judgments or pension exemptions and there is no growth factor. Under a contingent budget, the percentage of the budget devoted to administrative costs cannot increase from what it was in the prior year's budget or the last defeated budget, whichever is lower, and non-contingent expenses must still be removed from the budget.

Employee Benefits: Amounts paid by the district on behalf of employees. These amounts are not included in the gross salary. They are fringe benefits, and while not paid directly to employees, are part of the cost of employees. Employee benefits include the district cost for health insurance premiums, dental insurance, life and disability insurance, Medicare, retirement, social security and tuition reimbursement.

Expenditure: Payment of cash or transfer of property or services for the purpose of acquiring an asset or service.

Fiscal Year: A fiscal year is the accounting period on which a budget is based. The New York State fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31. The fiscal year for all New York counties and towns and for most cities is the calendar year. School districts in the State operate on July 1 through June 30 fiscal years. 

Fund Balance: A fund balance is created when the school district has money left over at the end of its fiscal year from either under spending the budget or taking in additional revenue. Part of the fund balance (appropriated fund balance) may be applied as revenues to the district's following year budget. A portion may also be set aside (unappropriated fund balance) to pay for emergencies or other unforeseen occurrences. 

Maximum Allowable Tax Levy Limit: The Tax Levy Limit plus allowable exemptions results in the maximum allowable tax levy, which is the highest tax levy a district can propose and still only need a simple majority to pass. 

Program Budget Component: One of the categories that must be presented in the district's proposed budget, this portion includes: salaries and benefits of teachers and supervisors who spend the majority of their time teaching; instructional costs such as supplies, equipment, and textbooks; and transportation operating costs.

Proposed Budget:  The spending plan developed by school administrators prior to Board adoption. School districts are required by New York State to show their proposed budgets in three categories: administrative, program, and capital. 

Revenue: Sources of income financing the operation of the school district. 

Salaries: The total amount paid to an individual, before deductions, for services rendered while on the payroll of the district. 

STAR: The New York State School Tax Relief (STAR) Program provides exemption for school taxes for all owner-occupied, primary residents, with a combined income of less than $500,000. Senior citizens with combined incomes that do not exceed $62,200 may qualify for an enhanced exemption. 

State Aid: State Aid is additional money that the state gives to districts, to be used in different areas, such as lowering the tax levy, etc. Until the state passes its budget, the district does not know exactly how much to expect in state aid, but school districts are still required to present their budgets to voters on the third Tuesday in May. To meet that mandate, the district had to estimate its state aid revenues.

New York State Department of Education/NYSED: The New York administration department that oversees public elementary and secondary education.

Supplies: Consumable materials used in the operation of the school district including food, textbooks, paper, pencils, office supplies, custodial supplies, material used in maintenance activities and computer software.

Support Services: The personnel, activities, and programs that enhance instruction and provide for the general operation of the school district. This includes attendance, guidance, and health programs; library personnel and services; special education services provided by speech and language pathologists, physical therapists and occupation therapists; professional development programs, transportation, administration, buildings and ground operations, and security.

Tax Base: Assessed value of local real estate that a school district may tax for yearly operational monies. 

Tax Levy: Total sum to be raised by the school district after subtracting out all other revenues including state aid. The tax levy is used to determine the tax rate for property owners in each of the cities, towns or villages that makes up a school district.

Tax Levy Limit: The threshold dictated by an 8-step state formula that determines the highest tax levy BEFORE exemptions that a school district can propose and still need a simple majority to pass.

Tax Rate: The amount of tax paid for each $1,000 of assessed value of property. In districts that cover just one municipality, the tax rate is figured simply by dividing the total assessed property value by 1,000 and then dividing that again into the tax levy (the amount of money to be raised locally). In districts that encompass more than one municipality, the formula for figuring the tax rate is more complicated. It involves assigning a share of the total tax levy to each municipality and applying equalization rates to take into account different assessment practices. 

Unappropriated Fund Balance: A school district is permitted to keep up to four percent of its fund balance in an unappropriated fund. This money may be used to pay for emergency repairs and other unforeseen occurrences.