Sparta school board plans $80.1M budget for 2023-24 year

The Sparta Board of Education has submitted a preliminary budget of about $80.1 million to the county Department of Education for review.

The spending plan calls for a tax levy of about $70.8 million. The tax levy is about 90 percent of the district’s revenue.

The owner of the average Sparta home, assessed at $371,300, would play $257.93 more in taxes under the preliminary budget than a year earlier. Last year, the owner of the average home, assessed at $370,500, paid an annual increase of $205.15 in taxes.

A public hearing on the budget will be held at 7 p.m. April 27 at Mohawk Avenue School, 18 Mohawk Ave.

Superintendent Matthew Beck said administrators were asked to start at zero, rather than last year’s budget, in estimating the amount of money they need for the 2023-24 school year.

”We continue to fund, maintain and improve the quality of our educational programs,” he said, noting that budget decisions were based on the district’s stategic plan.

No programs were eliminated in the preliminary budget but some positions open because of retirements or resignations were not filled, he said.

Federal funds will drop 62 percent in the 2023-24 budget from the 2022-23 one because money related to the coronavirus pandemic is no longer available, Beck said. Those funds were used to help students catch up and even excel in learning, he noted.

The district faces contractual increases of 2.8 percent in teacher and administrator salaries, 15 percent for general insurance and 25 percent for retirement benefits in the 2023-24 budget. Health insurance costs are rising $1.4 million, transportation will cost nearly $1 million more and special-education costs are up $300,000.

Total state aid has grown some because of increased enrollment and an increase in Sparta ratables also helped, Beck pointed out.

Space at Alpine

Beck said the district is looking at the possibility of building a new school to relieve overcrowding at Alpine Elementary School.

An architect has created a rough drawing of buildings that would fit on a potential property. Now, an engineer is looking at the feasibility of building on that property, taking into account wetlands and zoning codes, he said.

The superintendent traced the crowding at Alpine to the district’s move a few years ago from half-day to full-day kindergarten and more recently from half-day to full-day pre-K.

”Within that time, our pre-K and kindergarten populations have also increased significantly,” he said.

The possibility of moving pre-K and kindergarten classes to Mohawk Avenue School was discussed, but the sizes of classrooms there no longer meet the minimum requirements for students that age, Beck said.

Administrators looked at the possibility of adding more temporary modular classrooms at Alpine but the cost and location of the modular classrooms on the softball field were not feasible.

The possibility of moving pre-K back to half-day while retaining full-day pre-K for special-education students is being discussed as part of the budget process, he said.

Seal of Biliteracy

Andrew Buchanan, the district’s supervisor of social studies, world languages and English as a Second Language, recognized students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy, an award given by the state Department of Education to those who have attained proficiency in at least one language in addition to English by high school graduation.

The honor provides students with a competitive edge as they move on to higher education and the work force, Buchanan said.

”The Seal of Biliteracy is not just a medal or certificate but a symbol of excellence that showcases our students’ cultural competency and linguistic diversity. It’s a testament to their dedication and persistence in learning a second language - no small feat.”

Board members approved district calendars for the next two years.

Schools will remain closed to students on Election Day, but teachers will receive professional development on that day, Beck said. That allows teachers and staff to take a four-day weekend at Presidents Day in February.

The board approved these resignations:

• Mohawk Avenue School Principal Laura Trent, after 22 years with the district.

• Christine Aloisio, school nurse at Alpine Elementary, after 25 years with the district.

• Judith Slavin, second-grade teacher at Alpine, after 34 years with the district and 50 years in education.

• Eighth-grade science teacher Susan Breznak, after 16 years with the district.

• Teacher assistant at Alpine Margaret Hedderich, after 23 years with the district.