By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA — The Massena Central Board of Education of Thursday voted to adopt a budget that calls for a lower tax increase than initially anticipated.

Because the 2017-18 state budget includes more money for public schools, the tax increase will be .99 percent, a $141,160 increase to the tax levy.

“It will allow us to restore some positions and enhance educational opportunities to students here at Massena Central,” Finance Committee Chairman Loren Fountaine said.

The spending blueprint, if adopted by voters in May, will restore a high school art teacher, two intervention teacher assistants for junior high math and reading and a Jefferson Elementary special education teacher.

“I think this is a good news budget. It covers several of our goals” “We appreciate the work of our finance committee and administration,” Superintendent Patrick Brady said.

Revenues are budgeted at $50,257,000 and expenses at $52,640,000. They also plan to use $2.5 million in fund balance.

Total state aid will increase 2.73 percent to about $32.6 million.

Brady said he’s concerned that the state during their budget talks discussed making mid-year cuts if the federal budget makes deep cuts to education.

He said Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked the state legislature for authority to make unilateral cuts should the Republican administration succeed in slashing school spending by the proposed 13 percent, most of which would be title funding, which partially funds Massena. The legislature agreed to a negotiated process, should the need arise to make the hypothetical cuts.

“When you set a budget and you have money taken away, it’s concerning,” Brady said. “We have to follow that process, see what happens at the federal level. We’ll know more in May.”