By ANDY GARDNER

BRASHER -- The Brasher Falls Central School District on Monday unanimously approved a $23.3 million budget that calls for a slight tax levy increase and will restore two positions.

The budget will be largely funded with state aid, about $10.5 million of which is Foundation Aid alone, which is going up $358,000 from last year.

“We are 73 percent reliant upon state aid for our revenues. Our tax levy is a very small amount of our budget compared to our state aid. That was a nice increase that we needed,” BFCSD Superintendent Robert Stewart said.

They are looking at raising their levy 1.3 percent, under the state tax cap.

The adopted budget includes restoring two positions -- an elementary special education teacher and a high school technology teacher.

Stewart said they decided to add the special education teacher because “our special education costs keep going up” and the student body is growing.

He said they will cease using a half-time BOCES tech teacher and add their own full-time instructor at the high school level.

“We are re-establishing our technology program with a focus on manufacturing and engineering. So we are dedicating some of our money this year to bringing in a technology teacher and starting up that program,” Stewart said, adding that it’s aimed at kids who may want to “go on working with their hands, go into engineering, go to SUNY Canton and get a two- or four-year degree.”

“Right now we aren’t serving those kids very well,” he said.

He estimates each of the positions with all benefits and salary could cost around $75,000 per year.

Stewart said this will bring back some of the student-faculty balance that was shifted years ago when the state balanced their budget by taking aid away from schools.

“Five or six years ago, because of our elimination adjustment, Brasher Falls Central had to cut 12.5 percent of our teaching staff,” he said.

Stewart said the budget also includes capital outlay projects, essentially proactive maintenance, to the tune of $100,000.

He said the projects are eligible for a 98 percent reimbursement from the state, which means next year they will only need to spend $2,000.

“We just need to get the ball rolling the first year,” Stewart said.

In this budget, they are looking at energy-saving items, such as lighting and pool valves that need to be replaced.

This year, they are cutting down their appropriated fund balance spending by $150,000. They usually draw $650,000 but will use $500,000 instead.

“This will allow the district to have more flexibility in the future with its money, it can help to save money and make sure the money we’re spending is going to the exact areas we feel is most important,” Stewart said.

The public will get to vote on the budget May 16.