OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen Silver Creek Superintendent Todd Crandall presented the proposed 2023-24 school budget at the most recent Hanover Town Board meeting

SILVER CREEK — One last time before his impending retirement, Silver Creek Superintendent Todd Crandall made appearances at recent Hanover and Silver Creek board meetings to present the district’s proposed 2023-24 school budget.

“The good news is, for the Silver Creek Central School District, we’re proposing a 0% tax hike,” Crandall told the Hanover Town Board and residents in attendance at a recent meeting.

“These are the fun ones to present,” Crandall said. Silver Creek Business Administrator Lisa Rohloff presented the budget at a recent Board of Education meeting, and joined Crandall to present at a recent Silver Creek Village Board meeting.

The district is calling for a $28,105,159 budget for 2023-24, with a total increase of $635,268 (2.31%) across the board, due in large part to inflation.

“The board is very cognizant of the taxpayers and the increases,” Crandall said. “They gave me a directive to get it below 2.50, and we’re at 2.31 right now.”

While the budget itself shows an increase, the property tax levy of $6,344,616 remains the same as last year’s figure.

Rohloff noted the district’s restricted fund balance (reserve funds) is estimated at $14.8 million. There is no money from the fund balance assigned to balance the budget for next year.

“We will not need to use fund balance to balance the budget, so it’s not necessary to appropriate any fund balance or reserves,” Rohloff said.

The district will carry a 10% unrestricted fund balance of $2.8 million.

“Fund balances are kind of like our savings accounts,” Crandall explained. “There’s 0% money coming out of the savings accounts to offset this year’s budget – that’s really important. We’re trying to save for the future because we recognize that the money from the state is likely going to be pulled back.”

Crandall also explained how the district is “preparing for the future” with American Rescue Plan funding set to expire after next school year. Crandall highlighted how under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, schools were set to lose up to 20% of state aid. “We were planning for that,” Crandall said.

Approximately 72% of the district’s funding comes from state aid. “The Federal funding allowed us to reduce this budget,” Rohloff said.

Crandall said the American Rescue Plan funding is also used “to reduce class sizes and offer more support and tutoring for our kids.” The district has added approximately 15 teachers across all levels of the district in recent years with the extra funding.

To combat the eventual loss of that funding, the district will evaluate any outgoing employee’s position, and will not replace outgoing employees unless they are deemed essential positions.

From 2022-23 to 2023-24, enrollment has remained close to even, with a reduction in 13 students from 999 to 986.

Estimated tax impact on a homeowner for a $60,000 home in Hanover is $1,167.66; and for a $100,000 home is $1,946.10.

The district’s current $950,000 capital project, including a fume hood for science courses and completed installation of the track, will be funded entirely from the capital reserve fund, at no added expense to taxpayers.

Looking further into the future, Crandall addressed the state’s plans to require districts to transition to electric buses in the coming years. Crandall addressed the topic at both Hanover and Silver Creek municipal meetings.

“Right now, we don’t know that our infrastructure at Silver Creek or any school in Chautauqua County can handle that. … We’re not built for that, so that would be a huge expense that we would have to absorb,” Crandall said.

Rohloff estimated an electric bus would cost over $500,000 – more than double the cost of buses at the moment.

“My guess would be is they will slow down the law. … There’s just no way it can happen that way,” Crandall said. “I personally think it’s a good thing, by the way, but not the way they are proposing it right now – it’s not realistic.”

The public will vote on the budget, with no additional propositions, on May 16 in the Silver Creek Central School’s high school lobby. The Board of Education unanimously approved the budget at a recent meeting. The budget is available to view online on the district website.