Warwick School District explains 2006-07 budget process

Editor’s note: The following article comes from the Warwick Valley School District as part of its efforts to prepare residents for the 2006-07 budget. Warwick - On May 16 of this year, Warwick residents will once again go to the polls to vote on the proposed school budget for 2006-2007. The planning of the school budget is a continuous process that focuses on more than just dollars and cents. The budget is an outline of the educational program and plan for the coming year. The scope of the educational program defines the estimated expenditure. In turn, the requested expenditures must be balanced in context with the estimated revenues. Compromises must occur in order to achieve a balance that will be acceptable to the community. Teachers and staff School budget planning involves nearly a full year of work. The process begins in September with teachers and support staff analyzing what is happening in the district. They review existing programs with respect to their continuation, modification or elimination. Based on the needs of students, they may propose the introduction of new programs at this time. Each building principal and director submits his or her individual building budget requests, which are then examined by the superintendent and the Board of Education. From these various budget requests, a master budget is built. The master budget is continuously reviewed by the central office staff in the context of the district goals, parameters, mandates and needs of students. Superintendent’s proposal The culmination of this budget-building process will produce the superintendent’s proposed budget for the 2006-07 school year, and will be presented to the Board of Education on Jan. 23. A work session dedicated to budget review will be held by the Board of Education on Feb. 27. The board will refrain from making firm decisions on budget appropriations until it has listened to the concerns of the community at the Feb. 27 work session and through communications. After considering the needs of the students, the district’s goals and the concerns and interests of the taxpayers, the board will adopt a budget on April 10. Public input Copies of the Proposed Budget will be available at the district offices, the schools and the public library on May 1. This proposed budget will be formally presented to the voters at a budget hearing on May 8. All residents will be informed through a district wide mailing of the essential components of the Proposed Budget and of the Public Budget Vote on May 16.