Budget

Valley Central School District is a collective investment by the community in its future and a reflection of its values. It is the responsibility of district leaders to work to manage the use of resources to provide the best education possible according to the mandates and requirements of the NYS Department of Education and Board of Regents to the community’s students while at the same time, developing and managing the district budget responsibly with accountability to all community members, including the taxpayers. The Board of Education is charged to adopt a budget in the spring of each school year for the following school year that is presented to the community for a vote, held on the third Tuesday in May.

School budget explanations can be filled with unfamiliar language.  Learn more about school budget language here. 

School Budget 101 Infographics

Set Goals

The Valley Central School District Board of Education, comprised of elected volunteers from the community, sets goals for education in the district every year. Those goals help the district measure its success in meeting community and state education standards. The school board and superintendent use them to guide the budget process and to help prioritize budget items.

Review Expenses

An important part of planning for the future is reflecting on the past. Early in the budget process, the school board and superintendent review data on current student enrollment, academic performance, and costs to operate the district, including employee salaries and benefits. They also consider trends in the costs of supplies (e.g., fuel, electricity, etc.) and outside services (e.g., BOCES programs). Some items on the cost side are not known until the end of the calendar year and many others are mandated by state law but not funded. Learn more about State mandates here.

Budget to Budget Increase

The School Business Official will compare the budget to budget increase when he explains the budget to the Board of Education.  The budget to budget increase shows the spending increase from the current budget to the one proposed for the next year as dictated by the operational costs of the district. 

Research Revenue

Building a budget, of course, is not just about expenses. The school board and superintendent also research revenue trends. That means looking at trends in State Aid, researching changes in the local tax base and the challenges facing residents and business owners who provide the funds for the school tax levy.

While the School Business Official can “guesstimate” what the district might receive in State Aid based on enrollment, trends and research, the actual figure is not known until the state budget is adopted on April 1. Currently, State Aid accounts for about 36% of the district’s revenues. See the history of VC’s State Aid here.  

Another important factor in determining the revenue sources of the district is to calculate the tax levy limit. The tax levy accounts for about 58% of the district’s revenues.  The tax levy limit is a complicated calculation of several different factors including CPI.   Learn more about tax levy limit here. 

About 9% of district’s revenues come from other sources part of which are PILOTS. A PILOT is an entity or business that has asked for a “Payment in lieu of taxes” instead of paying their full assessed property taxes in exchange for a promise to develop that property to the advantage of either the Town or County granting it. Learn more about the PILOTS that effect Valley Central here.

Proposal 

The Superintendent proposes a budget that takes into consideration the obligations of the district to provide a sound education while balancing the needs and concerns of the community. The proposed budget is presented at Board of Education meetings in February and March.  A final budget proposal is held to present the budget with any adjustments that were made during the proposal process. 

Adoption of A Budget

The Board of Education adopts the budget for presentation to the public for the required budget vote in April.  A public budget hearing is held and information about the budget is shared with the public on the website and through a newsletter.  

Statewide Budget Vote

State law requires that a public budget vote is held every year on the third Tuesday in May. 

The VCSD budget history can be found here.  


    Property Taxes

    New York State Schools are funded by property taxes.  Typically, school taxes make up about two-thirds of a property owner’s annual tax bill across the state. Valley Central School District’s taxes are collected through the Town of Montgomery Assessor’s office, which collects the taxes from all the residents of the seven towns that comprise the district.  Property tax bills can be looked up here for any property in the district. 

    Last Year’s Budget Information

    Property Tax Exemptions

    NYS offers property tax relief through the STAR Program.  Valley Central further offers tax exemptions to Senior Citizens and Veterans that qualify. 

    NYS STAR Program

    New York State offers the STAR Program to help relieve the tax burden of property owners.  There is a program for homeowners under the age of 65 and an enhanced program for homeowners over the age of 65.  The program is controlled by New York State and was changed by New York State in 2019.  Learn more about the STAR Program here. 

    VCSD Tax Exemptions

    Valley Central School District offers two additional tax exemption programs to senior citizens and veterans.  Learn more about VCSD tax exemption programs here.