WPCNR School Days. By John F. Bailey. January 31, 2006: Assisstant Superintendent for Business for the White Plains City School District, Terrence Schruers presented the proposed 2006-2007 School Budget  of $167,417,488 Monday evening an increase year to year of 8.18%. Schreurs, in the course of the 40 minute presentation, noted the precise tax increase could not be determined until the City Assessor's Office gave the School District the district wide assessment  figure and Payment In Lieu of Taxes figures, which he said was not expected until March 1 from the City.

Schruers said the budget contained no new additonal positions and no funding of new programs. Board of Education member, Bill Pollak, noted that should assessments not keep pace with the 8.1% budget increase that it would require a rise in the school tax rate. WPCNR predicts that assessments will be down due to the $16 million in certiorari refunds the School District has bonded for in the last 12 months. Those lowered assessments will whittle the tax roll the district has to work with in 2006-2007.

Schruers pointed out that on the revenue side, state aid was only increasing 1.5%, or $146,258,  and $111,000 of that was made up of state reimbursement for transportation costs. He noted that BOCES aid was held to $83,000 due to Governor George Pataki's caps on BOCES/special education spending.

He reported that salaries increased 4% ($4,385,652), Health Insurance rose 8% (1,250,660), and Teacher's Retirement Pension Funding 45% ($1,854,093), and BOCES $717,599  (8%). Utilities will rise 30% (947,684), and debt service, up $1,556,870 (34%), and Tuition to outside district facilities, $403,000 (21%). The total increase in the budget year to year, from the 2005-06 figure of $154.7 Million, at this time is $12,658,290.