Lakeland Sets Hearing On $164 Million School Budget For 2020-21

SHRUB OAK, NY — The Lakeland Board of Education will do a new thing on May 28 — hold its annual budget hearing remotely. That's only one of the many changes forced on the district by the new coronavirus pandemic in New York.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has warned that the economic effect of the shutdown imposed to curb the outbreak could mean much less money available for state education aid. The state will be assessing and adjusting its budget several times in the course of 2020. Cuomo's last estimate was that state aid would be 20 percent lower than already promised.

Lakeland administrators and trustees have been working on how to mitigate the effect of much lower revenues since March. The proposed $164,797,022 spending plan they adopted May 14 includes a reduction in spending of 5.76 percent from the current year. There is no increase in the tax levy. It maintains current district programs.

"Understanding the economic struggles of residents, the Lakeland Central School District Board of Education has adopted a budget for the 2020-2021 school year with no local tax levy increase," Lakeland Superintendent George Stone told Patch. "The District will utilize reserve funds set aside in previous years to balance the significant loss of state aid and the rising inflationary costs of labor, materials and programs. All six towns will see a decrease in their current tax rates, as the assessed value of property has gone up."

Click here to view the whole 2020-21 Proposed Board of Education Adoption of Budget Presentation.

In addition to the budget, there will also be a second proposition on the ballot asking voters to approve spending $4.2 million to replace and/or reconstruct the roof at the Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School.

The school board will hold its annual budget hearing on Zoom starting at 7 p.m. May 28.

You can see this season's district's budget presentations on the website.

"We've been fiscally responsible and prepared for times like this," Stone said during the school board's May 14 Zoom meeting.

Things to know:

1. School district budget votes and school board elections are by absentee ballot only in 2020.
2. Absentee ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the district the week of May 25.
3. If you are not registered, you may register by mail with the County Board of Elections or apply through the state online.

To vote, you must be:

• A United States citizen
• At least 18 yrs of age by June 9, 2020
• A resident of the district by May 10, 2020
• Cannot have been disqualified from voting based upon a reason described in Election Law §5-106.