2021-22 Lancaster School District budget

[Lee Chowaniec]

Tax increase of .19 per thousand of assessed property valuation.

https://www.lancasterschools.org/cms...A%20Report.pdf

In each township the estimate for how homeowners would be assessed is as follows:


Current Tax Rate 2020-2021- Estimated Rate Change - Estimated Tax Rate 2021-2022

Current Tax Rate 2020-2021 Estimated Rate Change Estimated Tax Rate 2021-2022
Lancaster $14.15 $0.19 $14.34
Cheektowaga $17.11 $0.24 $17.35
Elma $392.32 $5.39 $397.71



Sample Tax Bill* Based on Property Values (Lancaster)

Current 2020-21 Tax Rate Estimated 2021-22 Tax Rate Estimated Tax Bill Change
$100,000 assessment $1,415 $1,434 $19
$200,000 assessment $2,830 $2,868 $38
$300,000 assessment $4,245 $4,302 $57

[yaksplat]

Brand new line item this year: Programs for English Language Learners: $425k

[WNYresident]

Brand new line item this year: Programs for English Language Learners: $425k

Are parents not teaching their children English before they enter kindergarten?

[yaksplat]

Immigrants/refugees.

[WNYresident]

Immigrants/refugees.

I thought refugees don't cost residents any money. Who's paying for the $425k?

[yaksplat]

Hilarious. Those English as a Second Language classes aren't free.

[WNYresident]

I didn't realize Lancaster had a large refugee population. So kind of the home owners covering the cost for that.

[yaksplat]

The districts are required to offer services to the population of the town. When there are children that don't speak english, the district has to react. The state would say that's all covered by their funding though.

[Lee Chowaniec]

The districts are required to offer services to the population of the town. When there are children that don't speak english, the district has to react. The state would say that's all covered by their funding though.

Didn’t pay much attention to the budget work sessions and did not listen in to the public hearing on the budget. The tax rate increase of $0.19 seems reasonable on the one hand, not so much when you consider the generous state aid this year.

Did speak to someone who did, and your question was but one of two that were asked at the public hearing and answered. The $425,000 is an unfunded state mandate to provide English learning to students in need, and possibly adults as well. All in the name of diversity.

Did find the following interesting:

With unprecedented funding levels from New York State in 2021 for education, this proposed budget remains below the tax cap and is the lowest levy increase since the tax cap inception in 2012.

So what! It is the tax increase that impacts my pocketbook. The tax rate was lower than $0.19 several times in that same period.

-$3.03 Estimated tax decrease of -$3.03, creating lowest tax rate in 10 years.

Again, it is not the lowest tax rate in the last ten years.

The budget increased from last year by $3,428,817. Benefits for all programs increased by a total of $2,068,095 = 60.3% of the budget. The newly mandated English Learning program, %425,000 = 12.4% of budget increase. Together they comprise 72.7% of the budget increase.

The district used $8.68 in fund balance this year. Have seen as much as $11 million used in the last ten years. Would like to know how much remains in the fund balance.

A great school district, IMHO!