Maintaining Fiscal Responsibility
While Supporting District Goals

Message from the Board of Education
Randolph Henderson, President
Pamela Perdue, Vice President

The proposed 2008-09 school budget was developed over the last six months. In keeping with our information collection practices of recent years, we invited both staff and the larger community to provide input at Budget Listening Sessions, and we began budget discussions at Board of Education meetings in December. With our sixth district goal in mind, we once again offer a budget that we believe is fiscally responsible in supporting other district goals.

In addition to keeping the goals of the school district central to our thinking as we developed this budget, we also focused on the rising interest in and support for consolidation and regionalism. As a district with a history of sharing services when it makes sense, we currently share the services of a Cafeteria Manager with one district and the services of a Head Bus Driver with another. Our efforts to find common ground with other districts do not end with these services, but rather begins with them. Our ongoing partnership in the ASSET Consortium – comprising Brocton, Ripley and Westfield Central School Districts, in addition to Chautauqua Lake – was key to our decision to participate in a Central Business Office. Initial planning for this regional collaboration will begin near the end of the current school year.

As regionalism gains attention and support in our area, the Chautauqua Lake Central School District intends to be fully involved in the conversation. In the past six months we have:

• developed a budget that improves our ability to use technology as an instructional vehicle,
• reached out to multiple partners to identify new programs that could be housed within our facility,
• worked with other regional partners to submit several grants that we hope will bring new revenues to our district that might both offset costs and enhance opportunities for students, and
• advocated with both local and state officials to consider new options for collaboration in the form of a regional high school.

We have prepared a budget that allows us to meet our district goals and also be an active regional partner in the future, a budget that is responsive to the changing economic conditions and enrollment challenges in our region.

The proposed budget includes a 3.55 % increase in spending, resulting in an anticipated 1.49% increase to the overall tax warrant. Even as we pursue regional solutions to the challenges we face, we must plan a high quality educational experience for our students, and now we must respond to rising costs that cannot be ignored. The budget was created with careful consideration of both known and uncertain expenses, including unpredictable fuel costs, steadily increasing retirement and health obligations, and costs tied to mandated programs and services.

The Board of Education is very grateful to the community for supporting the school and its mission. Please join us to meet the candidates and discuss the budget at the Budget Hearing on Tuesday, May 13, 7 pm,in the Large Group Instruction Room.Also, please vote on both the budget and three members of the Board of Education on Tuesday, May 20, 7 am to 9 pm , in the Rotunda at the main (center) entrance to the school building.