SOUTH DAYTON — A $17.1 million budget for the 2019-20 school year has been authorized by the Pine Valley Central School District Board of Education. It includes a tax levy of $3,343,147, which is unchanged from the previous two school years.

“This budget represents three years of creating long-term financial stability and sustainability,” according to District Superintendent Scott Payne. He has described the plan as “responsibly funded and student-focused.”

The proposed budget of $17,140,656 is an 8.25 percent increase over the previous school year. Due to better than expected financial performance, the district is seeking to pay down its debt obligations and invest in one-time expenditures that align with the Board of Education’s goals.

“The budget supports our instructional program with supplemental reading materials,” according to Payne. “It enhances school safety by adding a school resource officer and security cameras to oversee our elementary playgrounds. It also allows for the purchase of two new buses and establishes reserves for teacher retirement and workers’ compensation.”

“The fact that these additions to the budget can be included with no increase in the tax levy is a testament to the board’s hard work and responsible planning,” Payne added.

The district is projected to receive $12,673,440 in state aid, a growth of 0.52 percent over the amount received during the 2018-19 school year. The budget also allocates $100,000 for a capital outlay project with 93 percent of the costs reimbursed by New York State the following year. The project includes flooring modifications in the district’s elementary classrooms. Work is slated to begin in the summer of 2020.

A budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14 at 7 p.m in the high school auditorium. The annual school budget vote and school board election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 from noon to 9 p.m. in the new gym foyer at the junior/senior high school.