The perspective from our families, community, students, and staff continues to shape our district’s financial pathway. The 2023-24 budget is also a key indicator of our school community’s values and provides a platform for understanding what matters to our students, families, faculty, and school community. It also serves as a partnership in reviewing and assessing areas of significance related to program and service areas within our school campus.
As part of this year’s communication timeline leading into the 2023-24 budget vote, the district will provide updates on the decisions to benefit our entire community. Today, we are sharing information on where we stand financially before this year’s budget vote. As you will read below, we are providing budgetary news and financial items that are important to our stakeholders as we prepare for this year’s vote on Tuesday, May 16.
Long-term planning: As we approach the budget vote, the district continues to plan year in and out to ensure the district is taking the appropriate steps to keep our district fiscally sound. This is done in a number of ways as the district receives feedback from our school community to better understand what’s a priority for our students to be successful. That information continues to provide insight into where we can improve for our students while continuing the district’s strong culture of offering social and emotional well-being for our campus community.
Capital Project: In 2017, the district took the necessary steps to transform our campus buildings to benefit our students and create opportunities for tomorrow. From classroom and building renovation to reimagining our district to adjust to forward-thinking learning opportunities, we have created a space for our students to engage, persevere, and succeed. This was done at no cost to our taxpayers through efficient financial planning and the ability to effectively utilize state and federal funding. In addition, the district, in cooperation with the Board of Education, continues to strategically manage our Capital Reserve Fund, Repair Reserve, and Transportation Reserve fund balance to maintain our fiscal responsibility and keep our district moving forward at a conservative pace.
Economic Landscape: As we continue to move forward from the economic effects of COVID-19, we understand the current financial limitations placed by record-high inflation. Cost of living adjustments have exceeded the financial picture for many and that also relates to school districts across New York state. At BKW, we continue to work to alleviate additional costs to our district taxpayers. Over the years (2013 to present), the district has worked diligently to manage the tax levy to ensure a comfortable adjustment for our community as best as we can. This includes managing state and federal aid, and utilizing resources more efficiently, from fuel costs for our transportation services to day-to-day classroom initiatives.
We ask that you consider following the budget conversation by visiting the district website for updated information on the upcoming budget vote. As we move closer to this year’s vote, the district will continue to share presentations, news articles, and additional summaries for our district stakeholders. We also encourage the community to keep up-to-date on budget meetings by accessing the public link to Board of Education meetings. Those meeting links can be found here.