The document provides an overview of the preliminary budget for the North Colonie Central Schools. It identifies returns on educational investments, reviews the current financial picture at the national, state and local levels, and examines the impact of Governor Cuomo's proposed budget. It also discusses educational mandates, the tax levy cap, and the district's approach to developing the 2012-13 budget. Upcoming budget meetings are scheduled in March with a vote by the Board of Education on March 29.

1. Preliminary Budget Overview
North Colonie Central Schools
March 5, 2012
Shaker High School Media Center

2. Agenda
 Identify returns on educational investment
 Provide an overview of current state, local
and national financial picture
 Review Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget
and its impact on North Colonie
 Identify educational mandates and their
impacts
 Review impact of tax levy cap
 Explain approach in developing 2012-13
budget
 Preliminary budget highlights

3. Our Mission
 All students are provided the opportunity
and necessary support to engage in
relevant, challenging work which
contributes to their academic and social
growth and development.
 All staff, teachers, and administrators are
part of a larger learning community
working together to build collective capacity
in order to provide a high-quality, relevant,
equitable education for all.

4. The Twin Pillars
 We continue to rest our success on
the twin pillars:
 Outstanding Student Achievement
 Tradition of Fiscal Prudence

5. Returns on Our Investments
 For academic performance, North Colonie ranked
14th out of 459 upstate school districts in New
York State by the Buffalo Business First and
Western New York State Business Council
 North Colonie is one of only four upstate districts in
New York State to have 50% or more of its students
achieving superior marks (above 85%) on 11
different Regents exams (2010 data)

6. Returns on Investment
 7 National Merit Finalists in the graduating
class of 2012, more than any Suburban
Council High School
 Shaker Senior Angela Wang is one of 40
national finalists in the Intel Science Talent
Search who will be traveling to Washington
D.C. to meet the President

7. Returns on Investment
 The Siena College Transition Program was
established to provide students with
disabilities a college experience.
 Teachers K-12 have worked diligently to
incorporate hands-on, authentic learning
experiences in science.
 Teachers have incorporated technology to
support teaching and learning through
multi-media projects and research that
develops critical thinking.

8. Returns on Investment
 North Colonie was recognized nationally as
a “Best Community for Music Education.”
 Twenty of our advanced high school art
students had their work selected for
exhibition in the Annual Juried Exhibit held
at the Sage Albany campus.
 Our pre-engineering students completed a
capstone project and successfully
presented projects to a panel of architects,
engineers, and R.P.I. professors.

9. Returns on Investment
 Shaker Junior High School students scored
at or near the top of the Suburban Council
on percent achieving proficiency on NYS
ELA and math assessments.
 Elementary teachers have worked
throughout the year to develop curricula
and refine their teaching skills to align with
the Common Core Learning Standards.

10. Returns on Investment
 The District Energy Committee identified
cost savings and reduced overall energy
usage thus mitigating rises in energy costs.
 D.O.T. bus safety inspections resulted in
97.4% of our buses passing.
 Food Service won a New York State
Education Department Best Practices
Award for Promoting Healthy
Choices/Nutritional Education.

11. National, State & Local Picture
 Although there are some signs at the national level
for optimism, we are still feeling the impact of the
recession
 Unemployment has decreased slightly nationally
 The Capital Region is better positioned economically
compared to the rest of the nation
 The financial markets are improving
 States, municipalities and local governments
continue to struggle
 Local school districts continue to struggle
economically and look toward significant reductions
in staffing and programs

12. National, State & Local Picture
 Projected budget deficit that the Executive
Budget proposal needs to close:
 2012-13: $3.5 billion
 2013-14: $3.6 billion
 2014-15: $5.0 billion
 2015-16: $4.2 billion
Total projected four year deficit = $16.3 billion

13. Governor’s Education Budget
Proposal
 Gov. Cuomo
proposed an
$805 million General
Support to
statewide high-needs
increase (4%) $250 $290
districts
in aid from last million million Expense &
Enrollment-
year. based aid
 The $805 programs
$265 Performance
million is grants
million
broken into
three
components

14. Breakdown of State Aid
 North Colonie is only eligible for expense
and enrollment-based aid programs (i.e.
Transportation, Special Education, Text
Book aid, etc)
 North Colonie is slated to lose $52,000 in
state aid from 2011-12.

15. District State Aid Trends
8 M
19 $1 8.
18.5
18
17.5 8M
$1 6.
7M
17 4M $1 6.
$1 6.
16.5 M State Aid
$ 16.1
16
15.5
15
14.5
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

16. Causes for future concern
 Fund Balance continues to decrease
 In 2013-14, annexation aid begins to decline (10% a
year for 10 years)
 Tax levy cap is in effect through at least 2016-17
school year. Thereafter, it remains in effect only so
long as rent control laws are in place.
 In 2011-12, district received highest Brick and Mortar
assessment in county – can’t expect that to happen
every year
 Governor’s and New York State Education
Department’s plan for state aid and educational
mandates are unknown

17. Causes for Cautious Optimism
 Difficult decisions have been made
 Maplewood Elementary
 TRS rates have remained flat
 Health Insurance rates have trended lower than
expected
 NCTA contract agreement resulted in cost savings for
district
 Possible growth in assessments
 Fiscal Responsibility
 Prudent use of fund balance
 High credit rating in borrowing rate
 Refinancing debt

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19. Educational Mandates
 Dignity for All Students Act
 Regents Reform Agenda
 Implementation of Common Core Learning Standards
 K—12 English Language Arts
 K—12 Mathematics
 Changing State Assessments and proficiency
requirements
 Response to Intervention
 Enhanced Graduation Requirements
 Annual Professional Performance Review
 Video & presentation from January 19 presentation
available on district website

20. New Financial Mandate – Tax Levy
Cap
 NYS has a property tax levy cap, not a 2% cap
 The law creates a multi-step formula to determine
“tax levy limit”
 Sets a higher threshold for voter approval of budgets
if proposed tax levy increase exceeds the “tax levy
limit” plus exclusions
 The actual allowable tax levy increase will vary by
district
 The tax levy calculation limits the school district levy,
not the individual tax bill of resident taxpayers
 Voters are approving the budget (spending plan) not
the tax levy
 The education community still has questions
regarding some details of the tax levy cap calculation

21. The North Colonie Budget Process
 Began in May after the vote on 2011-12
budget
 Started process early, holding two
community budget forums in November
and January
 As job openings have occurred, we have
tried to achieve savings via attrition
 Board committees have met throughout
year to discuss important topics that impact
the budget, including new state mandates,
curriculum, facilities planning, and finances.

22. Approach to Developing Budget
 Guiding Principles
 Limit the impact of reductions on students and
programs as much as possible
 Where possible, look for gains via attrition
 Keep constituent groups informed
 To greatest extent possible, maintain current
educational program and limit reductions for 2012-13
school year
 Immediately begin planning for more profound, yet
educationally sound, structural changes for 2013-14
school year and beyond
 Achieve educational and fiscal sustainability by
achieving savings and making “targeted
reinvestments.”

23. Preliminary Budget Highlights
 Targeted Reinvestments
 Pursue a “mission-focused” budget.
 Align spending and restructuring to the
mission.
 Use savings gained from attrition to fund
educational priorities.
 Reduce and redirect spending to honor
mission-focused priorities.

24. Preliminary Budget Highlights
 Building student capacity
 Increase support staff at the elementary level for
students who are struggling with meeting
proficiency in reading and mathematics
 Increase supplemental supports for students at the
junior high level who are struggling with meeting
grade level expectations
 Building professional capacity
 Support teachers with the curricular and
instructional shifts required for the successful
implementation of the Common Core Learning
Standards

25. Upcoming Meeting Schedule
March 8 Equipment, Maintenance, Interfund
Transfers
March 12 New Programs & Initiatives, Summer
Curriculum, Debt Service, Enrollment
March 15 Fund Balance, Revenue (including
updated Tax Levy Cap), Contingency
Budget, Further Discussion
March 19 Staffing Changes
March 22 Staffing Changes (If Necessary)
March 29 Voting by Board of Education
* All meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the SHS Media Center
unless otherwise noted.

26. How to stay informed
 Budget & Finance page on district
website contains many resources
 Past presentations and videos from
earlier this year
 Detailed information on tax levy cap
 Relevant budget news articles from
around the area
 Timeline of events for the remainder of
budget season

27. How to stay informed
 Follow along online – participate in
the budget process from home via
the live-stream feed
 Frequent Superintendent budget
videos on Facebook during budget
season
 Full budget meeting recaps available
on district website