The Mount Markham Central School Board of Education met Tuesday night to discuss new business.
The meeting began with members of the public and MMCSD student Owen Allen speaking to the Board about the restroom use restriction on campus put in place. Allen sent a letter to the BOE requesting the Administration to free-up use of the restrooms throughout the schools.
After having spoken with other students, he said they feel it is an unfair punishment to restrict restroom use for all students when the actions of a few students are causing the restrictions. Allen and his fellow students have estimated the time it takes to get to a restroom and return to class has nearly doubled since the school placed the restrictions.
MMCSD Superintendent Joe D'Apice began by thanking Allen for his letter, saying it was a constructive contribution to the conversation. However, D'Apice said the issues with students loitering in bathrooms in large groups is a problem.
He said the Administration needed to gain control of the situation before reopening the closed restrooms. "We're not trying to make anyone's life difficult," D'Apice said. "But we have to be honest with ourselves, we can do better."
MMCSD Business Official Lou D'Ambro gave a presentation on the 2023-24 Preliminary Budget Forecast. MMCSD is expected to see a 10% increase in school aid with a 2% decrease in building aid.
MMCSD is expected to have a combined $5,343,005 in Federal funds available for spending. D'Ambro said the over-the-limit surplus will spike for the 2022-23 budget and start trending downward for the 2023-24 budget.
He said $2,104,824 needs to be spent by 2023 from the 2017 Capital Reserve.
The Calculated Annual CPI will see an inflation factor of 8.0%.
The Tax Levy growth is expected to be 2%. The 2023 BOCES Debt payment is scheduled to be $1,500,960.
Foundation aid is expected to increase $1,854,444 to $16,153,283 for the 2023-24 budget. Total State Aid for 2023-24 will increase $1,985,192 to $24,344,174.
The first draft of the 2023-24 expenditure budget is $33,158,308 with a tax levy exclusion of $632,574. The Revenue budget is projected to be $30,158,308.
The approved Capital Project of $25 million is scheduled, with $100,000 set aside for Scope ES, and a bond for $1,478,088. Another $513,541 is set aside for the connectivity and security budget.
Transportation purchases of three buses are scheduled with 90% of transportation aid provided by the State over five years.
There are three School Board seats up for election this year.
At a recent Board retreat, members of the Board expressed concerns about not offering a cursive writing program for students. A cursive writing program will be offered at MM for the 2023-24 school year beginning with third graders and a remedial…
Komentáře