When voters in the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District go to the polls on May 16, district officials will need only a simple majority of them to pass the proposed 2017-2018 school budget. That is because the proposal is under the two percent property tax cap limit.
The proposed budget totals $49,220,549 and is an increase of $715,041 or 1.47 percent over the current year’s budget. The proposed property tax levy increase is 1.95 percent.
District officials propose using $840,000 in appropriated fund balance and $1.1 million in restricted reserves along with $27,766,651 in property tax revenue and $17,003,098 in state aid. Tax rates in both Henrietta and Mendon would rise from the current $23.11 per thousand of assessed value to $23.56 per thousand of assessed value while the tax rate in Rush would go from $23.82 in this year’s budget to $24.29 under the 2017-2018 proposal and the tax rate in Lima would rise from $25.75 to $26.22. In West Bloomfield, the tax rate would go from $26.58 to $27.07 per thousand of assessed value.
Owners of a $200,000 home with Basic STAR would have a property tax increase of $77.79 while the owner of a $200,000 home with Enhanced STAR would see a property tax increase of $61.64.
“It is a balance,” Superintendent Gene Mancuso said. “It keeps us moving forward as a district yet it is also fiscally responsible for the community.”
The proposed budget keeps intact the emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in both the Lima Primary School and the Manor School, would provide continued focus on Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) and project-based learning at the Middle School and maintain programs at the high school such as LINK Crew which helps incoming freshmen. In the transportation department, it would help enhance two-way radio communications with the implementation of a new system and keep the department’s transition of buses to three-point seat belts and requiring seat belt use on track. It also allows the district to continue utilizing technology to help students learn while helping them learn how to use technology responsibly. It also includes one new Instructional Technology Specialist position.
There is also a school bus purchase proposal on the ballot that would allow the district to purchase up to five vehicles for student transportation for a sum not to exceed $520,000.
Three seats on the Board of Education are up for election as well. Incumbents Amy West and Lawrence Young are re-running for their seats. The third candidate is Caralyn Ross. Incumbent Janet Somes is not re-running for her spot on the board.
Voting will be held from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. at the high school.
