We extend our sincere appreciation to the Binghamton City School District voters for their overwhelming support of the 2013-2014 budget proposal. 

Click HERE for the preliminary results of Tuesday's board election and budget vote.

Superintendent's Message: 2013-2014 Budget Proposal

On April 16, the Binghamton City School District Board of Education approved a 2013-14 budget proposal totaling $102,174,627. This represents a tax levy increase of 1.89% over the current fiscal year.

Crafting this budget was especially difficult this year. With Foundation Aid decreasing $21M since 2008, revenues are not keeping pace with expenditures. Mandated costs in special education, implementation of the common core standards and the new educator evaluation plans have resulted in additional expenditures. Retirement fund contributions and health care benefits alone have increased 37%.

The proposed budget includes the elimination of 54.9 positions. Reductions in personnel were necessary in order to contain increasing costs that compound over time.  For example, a reduction of approximately $400,000 in personnel will equate to a $1.2 million dollar projected savings in 5 years. 

After much discussion, there were reductions of services and programs in lieu of eliminating programs in the areas of athletics, fine arts, world languages at the elementary schools, contracted services, overtime and other building-level expenses.  Ultimately, we believe this budget reflects our board’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and to maintaining our tradition of offering high-quality educational opportunities to every student.

I thank those who attended our budget hearing on May 7 at the Columbus School. I and members of our board and administration are ever-thankful for the input and feed-back residents provide. Please feel free to reach out to us any time.

The statewide date for voting on school budgets is May 21, 2013. In addition to voting on the budget, residents in our district will also fill two positions on our Board of Education.  A Board Candidate Forum sponsored by PTA Council is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on May 6 at Roosevelt Elementary School, 9 Ogden Street, so residents can acquaint themselves with the candidates.

I encourage you to visit this link (click here) where you will find an array of information about our budget proposal, polling locations, answers to frequently asked questions and more.  If you have questions that have not been addressed, please contact my office at 607-762-8100 x 318.

Sincerely,

Marion H. Martinez, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

A special notice to parents and guardians of students in grades 5-12 who received a letter from the district about the federally funded project called SHARE (Safe Healthy Attitudes Require Education): You have until May 20 to submit a refusal form if they do not wish to have their child(ren) participate in the survey.