News

ECSD Budget Update

Updated Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Written By: Joe Melillo

lmira City School District leaders are between a rock and a hard place.

March 6, 2013
Elmira (WENY) - Elmira City School District leaders are between a rock and a hard place. They have a huge budget deficit to overcome and few options, all while trying to keep programs. The board made a decision that will give us a clearer picture on how the final budget will look. $6.1 million, that's the deficit board members and more specifically the Elmira School District fiance committee has to tackle in less than a month.
     Members voted to direct the fiance committee to use an estimated 4.6 percent tax levy increase as the base for their budget calculations. This week the committee will examine all non-instructional programs that can be cut. Those include athletics, reducing supplies and equipment, and even eliminating one swimming pool. Teachers like Benita Eldridge from the district were in the audience to ask for reinstatement of music programs cut last year, but that might be asking a lot from the district at this time.
      “I'm going to be optimistic and hope that we are going to at least maintain what we have right now. We might have to re configure what we have right now to make it work but im going to remain optimistic until I see those cuts,” says Eldridge.
      The next budget meeting is scheduled for next Thursday March 14th.