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2020-2021 Potsdam school budget would raise taxes 2.1%

Posted 5/25/20

BY MATT LINDSEY North Country This Week POTSDAM – The Potsdam Central School Board of Education has adopted the 2020-2021 budget that calls for about $14 million to be raised by taxpayers. PCS …

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2020-2021 Potsdam school budget would raise taxes 2.1%

Posted

BY MATT LINDSEY

North Country This Week

POTSDAM – The Potsdam Central School Board of Education has adopted the 2020-2021 budget that calls for about $14 million to be raised by taxpayers.

PCS Superintendent Joann Chambers said next year’s budget is currently $34,985,741, which is a 2.1% increase over the current year. Taxpayers will be raising about $385,000 over last year. The district will go with a 2.84% increase which is the tax cap.

The school gets funding from three main sources: Taxpayers, aid from the state and a small percent of the budget comes from federal grants.

“Unfortunately, as a result of the state budget deficit related to the pandemic, we expect to receive an increase of less than a half of one percent over the state aid we received last year which is much less than we anticipated,” she said.

Even though they expect less funding, Chambers said the budget included a “modest increase” for staffing.”

The district will need to hire a full-time psychologist who will be stationed in the high school. PCS has been using a psychologist per diem for several years, but that the current school psychologist wants to “retire for real” now, Chambers said.

Reducing a full-time counselor at HS will help offset the costs along with the district no longer contracting with BOCES at the elementary school for counseling and behavior

consulting.

The district will look to reinstate a full-time middle school library media specialist position that was cut during the recession.

Chambers said that with remote instruction, there was a need for support to teach students and staff in technology. PCS Currently has a media assistant position which will not be filled, which allows for about $20,000 toward the media specialist position.

In total, the school made about $667,000 in reductions

Recommended reductions included a high school social studies teacher, a kindergarten teacher, two teachers aids, and eliminating a variety of stipends.

She said some savings have already been realized through hiring as the incoming salary was much lower than those of retirees.

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