Goshen Central School District faces cuts, if budget rejected again

The Goshen Central School District will automatically adopt a contingency budget—which could cut funding by an additional $1.6 million—if voters reject the district’s revised budget.

The district’s initial budget was voted down 559-472 on May 19. Residents of the district can vote on the revised budget on June 16.

The board of education and Interim Superintendent Thomas Bongiovi reduced the budget by $16,800 to $101,033,650, by shifting spending from administrative and legal costs to student-centered activities.

Budget revisions include reducing superintendent’s salary, eliminating certain administrative positions

Changes in the new budget include reducing the superintendent’s salary from $285,000 to $260,000. The school district is currently searching for a new permanent superintendent. Bongiovi has withdrawn his name from consideration, but has agreed to stay an additional six months. His first year as interim was scheduled to come to an end on June 30.

The new budget also cuts $50,684 in non-instructional salaries, $46,500 in legal contractual fees and $48,477 in administrative salaries, including the elimination of a proposed director of technology position.

Budget reinvests in teaching salaries

The new budget reinvests money in $70,788 in new teaching instructional salaries, $34,000 for additional teaching assignments at Goshen High School, as well as continued support for a social studies teacher and a teacher on special assignment (TOSA), $24,200 for teaching supplies and equipment, $29,886 for webhosting and $10,000 for co-curricular activities.

The budget allocates $3,750,000 in fund balance and $1,223,189 in reserve funds.

The revised budget is a 4.4 percent increase over the prior year. Due to new state aid that came in recent weeks the tax levy increase will change from 3.06 percent to 2.8 percent.

The superintendent said the increase in taxes represents a $489.33 increase for the average $450,000 home. Over the past two years the budget has increased approximately $10 million.