BY MATT LINDSEY

North Country This Week

POTSDAM -- Potsdam Central School will need to use $2 million in fund balance to keep its tax increase at the cap.

“Our tax cap is going to be 2.44 percent increase in the tax levy which will generate an additional $333,784 in revenue,” according to Potsdam Central Superintendent Joann Chambers.

Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's current proposal, PCS is anticipating an additional $88,751, which is only a half percent increase in overall aid. Chambers said there is a 2.2 percent increase in operating aid, a 1.01 percent decrease in expense-driven aid, and a .6 percent increase in other aid for items such as textbooks, software, etc.

“We are hopeful that when the state budget is finalized we will see an increase in state aid,” she said.

PCS expects an increase in contractual expenses, including an increase of $6,858 for the Employee Retirement System contribution and an increase of $297,340 in health and dental premiums. They do however anticipate a decrease in the district's contribution to the Teacher Retirement System in the amount of $65,082.

No staff or program cuts are expected.

Chambers said PCS hopes to add a director of technology, curriculum, and instruction position to the budget.

“We are finding with our increased use of educational technology, we need someone who can oversee this area and support teachers in their professional development. There are also new regulations coming into play which will require school districts to take additional steps to insure student data is protected and to also provide training for all staff in many aspects of cybersecurity.

“We will also be putting up a separate proposition for the purchase of three school buses as part of our regular bus replacement schedule,” Chambers said, for which she said she hopes to get voter approval.

Finally, there will be a resolution that will allow the district to establish a capital reserve fund. This will help offset any local share of future capital projects.

“We expect the next major capital project to begin in the 2021-2022 school year so it makes good fiscal sense to start setting aside money now,” she said. “Approval of the resolution will allow us to fund this reserve up to $2,500,000 over a 10-year period.”