Published: May 06, 2008 12:35 am            

SCHOOLS: Public hearings for budgets begin today

The general public will get a look at their school districts' budgets for the 2008-09 school year at special meetings that begin today.

Each school district in New York state adopts a proposed budget for the upcoming school year and brings it before the public during a special meeting. Then residents vote on the budget, and any open school board seats, at an election May 20.

• Newfane, Starpoint and Wilson school districts will be holding their public budget hearings today.

• Newfane’s hearing will be a part of its regular school board meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Middle School auditorium, 2700 Transit Road, Newfane. The district’s $31,949,691 budget is a 3.58 percent increase from the current school’s budget. The budget carries a tax levy increase of 2.44 percent, which translates to a 0.51 percent increase in the tax rate.

• Starpoint will hold its meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Board of Education Conference Room, 4363 Mapleton Road, Pendleton. Residents in Starpoint will see a budget of $41,883,820, which is an increase of about 3.86 percent in spending from the current school year. The tax levy would increase about 3.7 percent.

• Wilson’s meeting is slated for 7 p.m. in the Middle and High School auditorium, 374 Lake St., Wilson. Wilson’s regular school board meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.

Wilson has a proposed budget of $23,254,894, which is a spending increase of about 3.53 percent from the current budget. The tax levy would go up 2.63 percent in the proposed budget.

• The Lockport city school district will hold its budget hearing at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Board of Education board room, 130 Beattie Ave., Lockport. The city district’s proposed budget is $73 million, a 4.65 percent increase from this school year’s budget. The tax levy increase will be close to zero percent.

• Royalton-Hartland’s public budget hearing will follow its regular school board meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday in the high school auditorium, 54 State St., Middleport. Roy-Hart’s $23.4 million budget will have a 3.89 increase in the tax levy, which will raise the tax rate from about 81 cents per $1,000 to 96 cents per $1,000 of assessed land value, depending where residents live.

• Barker will hold its public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Herbert F. Ludwig auditorium in the high school, 1628 Quaker Road, Barker. The $19.9 million budget is a 4.55 increase in spending for the district, a 6 percent tax levy hike.

        

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