School District looks for $25,000 in spending cuts

With the new state budget passed in the wee hours of Wednesday the numbers show Shelter Island School District netting a total of $668,380.

That’s up from the $655,370 Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D., had budgeted for the 2021-22 school year. That number was based on Gov.Andrew Cuomo’s budget draft.

Despite the increased aid that was cemented Tuesday between the executive draft and the drafts from the state Senate and State Assembly, the aid for the Island isn’t quite enough to cover a gap of $37,587 recorded in March. That means that to stay within the state-mandated tax cap as Mr. Doelger promised, the district will have to find $24,579 more to cut in spending.

He said Wednesday morning that while he has been looking at possible cuts, he had not yet zeroed in on what to suggest because he wanted to first see the final state budget numbers. He expects in meetings tonight to be able to determine cuts he’ll suggest to the Board of Education.

The Board  meets Monday night and expects to adopt a final budget then to submit to voters on May 18.

Mr. Doelger, the business staff and board members had previously sliced close to $35,000 from the budget draft by late February, and they have been scouring the draft for other possible cuts.

A full story on the budget will be on the Reporter website as soon as more information is received and, of course, a story about Monday night’s budget workshop and regular meeting will appear in next week’s paper.