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Mostly Cloudy Lawrence School District budget and board candidates
The proposed Lawrence school district budget for the 2023-2024 school year maintains the existing programs except for the removal of teaching French from the curriculum due to the demographics of the district.
District residents will decide on approving the new school budget, which is now tentatively $102.85 million, roughly a $360,00 increase over the current fiscal plan.
For the fifth straight year, the tax levy — the money collected by the district through property taxes — remains the same at 85,954,000. The preliminary budget includes a 665,000 decrease in state aid from $13.011 million in 2022-2023. Other decreases include $200,000 in BOCES programs, $350,00 in maintenance supplies and $500,00 in business office efficiencies such as school and data security.
Jeremy Feder, the district’s assistant superintendent of business and operations, said there will be no increase in taxes and credited the consistent tax levy over the past years to a myriad of different reasons.
“This year it’s because the interest rates are so high and we have a lot of interests earnings and in prior years we had Covid money to offset some budgetary items,” he said.
The budget includes a $1 million increase in medical benefits, $1.5 million in transportation and $350,000 in nonpublic school services. Revenue increases include 300,000 in payments in lieu of taxes and $885,000 in interest.
Board candidates
Along with voting on the budget on May 16, district residents will be casting ballots for board trustees. Current board President Murray Forman and Vice President Dr. Asher Mansdorf are up for re-election. Both terms are three-years.
To be eligible to vote, district resident must register at the district clerk’s office 2 Reilly Road, Cedarhurst, N.Y., 11516, no later than May 2 from 4 to 8 p.m.?
The next board meeting is on April 3 at 8 p.m. in Lawrence High School, where the budget and the property tax report card could be adopted. On May 2, a budget hearing is scheduled. Also at 8 p.m. at the high school.
