District loses S.T.A.R. money due to assessment change
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Superintendent Howard S. Smith presented the 2008-09 Williamsville Central School District's proposed budget to a small crowd at the May 8 public hearing.

(See editorial on page four)

The $151 million budget is a 4.1 percent spending increase from 2007-08. The tax levy increase is 2.64 percent.

The final tax rate is dependent on the town's assessment, but Smith said the district expects a less than 1 percent increase.

Facing unfunded state mandates and rising costs, the district cut $850,000 from programming to keep the tax rate increase low.

In addition the district faced another matter that was out of its hands.

The Town of Amherst suspended its 100 percent reassessment program, dropping to 92 percent this year. With houses being assessed at only 92 percent, the district felt the hit.

Smith said the district is facing the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in S.T.A.R. exemptions: $743,000 in Basic S.T.A.R. and $290,000 in Enhanced S.T.A.R.

"As we told the town, the year after we would lose part of S.T.A.R.," Smith said about the change in assessment in 2007.

The superintendents from Williamsville, Amherst and Sweet Home school districts sent letters to the town and also attended work sessions, warning the town of the consequences of not upholding the 100 percent assessment.

"It's frustrating. It's not the districts' fault it's not at full value," Smith said. "The (Williamsville) district is losing about $1 million in S.T.A.R. subsidiary."

He added that the town had been cautioned, and the information released at the May 8 meeting confirms the suspicions.

In addition to losing funding, the district was faced with increased costs. Smith identified six major items: health care, negotiated salaries, transportation, special education, occupational education and support for students' state competitions.

There was one speaker at the budget hearing, a representative from the Williamsville PTSA Council, who said, on behalf of all the district's schools, that the council supports the budget.

In the past seven school years the district's tax rate has increased an average of .86 percent, and the average budget increase has been 4.24 percent. The following are the figures from those years:

• 2001-02 - budget was $113 million with a 1.36 percent tax rate increase ($18.77 per $1,000 of assessed value.)

• 2002-03 - budget was $115 million with a 3.44 percent tax rate increase ($19.41 per $1,000 of assessed value.)

• 2003-04 - budget was $121 million with a .81 percent tax rate increase ($19.57 per $1,000 of assessed value.)

• 2004-05 - budget was $128 million with a 1.88 percent tax rate increase ($19.94 per $1,000 of assessed value.)

• 2005-06 - budget was $133 million with a 2.36 percent tax rate decrease ($19.47 per $1,000 of assessed value.)

• 2006-07 - budget was $139 million with a .10 percent tax rate decrease ($19.45 per $1,00 of assessed value.)

• 2007-08 - budget was $145 million with a $1.03 percent tax rate increase ($19.65 per $1,000 of assessed value.)

Residents will vote on the 2008-09 budget from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Williamsville North High School, 1595 Hopkins Road.

Also on the ballot are four School Board candidates for three seats. They are incumbents Francina Spoth, Ronald Shubert and Stephen Munschauer, and newcomer Mark Mecca.

There is one additional proposition because the district needs residents' permission to spend $120,000 to buy property at 427 Mill St., to allow for additional access to Mill Middle School.

Information on the district's budget is available at www. williamsvillek12. org.