Budget preparation work continues as preliminary state aid projections are released for Minisink Valley’s 2020-21 proposed school budget

school budget clip artAs Minisink Valley continues with the development of its 2020-21 school budget, the district again reaffirms its commitment to keep the community  informed on the status of its work and what it’s learning from state officials.

Extremely preliminary state aid projections were released from the governor’s office on Tuesday, Jan. 21.  Currently, they show Minisink Valley is slated to receive $42,955,340 in aid for the forthcoming school year. That’s 0.2 percent, or $100,589, less aid than last year.

Please keep in mind that these are very preliminary state aid projections and are one of many financial pieces used in the development of the school budget. They will change.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Patrick Witherow and his finance team are currently studying these aid projections. It’s very important to note these numbers will shift in the coming weeks as the district’s elected officials negotiate the budget with the governor’s office and look for more funding in the districts they represent.

The district has already reached out to its elected officials to arrange meetings to discuss the need for increased funding and will be tenacious in its efforts to have them understand the importance of working with their colleagues to find additional funding.

Shortly, the district will be announcing dates when the Board of Education’s Finance Committee will be meeting to discuss various aspects of the proposed budget, as is its longstanding practice.   The first meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 6.  All meetings are open to the public.  Please consider attending these meetings and becoming better acquainted with the meticulous work involved in developing the school budget.

The district is confident that the proposed budget it will present to voters will be a fiscally responsible one which balances the needs of its students while being respectful to taxpayer dollars.

Thank you.