[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6099114,"mediaKeyId","2821473-04878f689f1a9c2a5a68c444f0238f2f","parentId",2821473,"title","West Seneca presents second draft 2025-26 budget; voters to consider budget, buses and auditorium on May 20","audioSeconds",1211,"startMs",2565000,"endMs",3776000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2821473-04878f689f1a9c2a5a68c444f0238f2f&start=2565&end=3776","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2821473-04878f689f1a9c2a5a68c444f0238f2f/thumbnail_2565000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6099114/New-York/West-Seneca-presents-second-draft-2025-26-budget-voters-to-consider-budget-buses-and-auditorium-on-May-20","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099114-b9bd8db1b7b2670e069dbd29a6690304/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171280&Signature=BVcJG570XxvJpCDOHOdH0xkrELIQFhHJwHH3ZtZg2Xy7hvJnAepFAl~XLlzLbk1CFQXwyDj6sgH5hqzXViysUb9SSepvQoWKOz0jaHjy~7EMW7XciyV9st7v9fZF5wY~8ak7BQhMndBBG0ba1-bJiJ85NUXnFEY9jvbzy6qLmzI2ySBLcH41S6WIyjayjZnCcCbxBQgmO51M0DLaFQImYg8Nm-wDvnSREeKGiwUeW2SmHEOda1ATgLjqVZ6MQw~MxTDqhVuEbFSJ53YxZh92AnSCnRC-fPfx8wr-4lWq3UKEa6H3HvfySSd5F3lBxWhUPmTVVO2LZCYCUKwMaogPQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-26T12:57:09Z","article","District staff presented a second draft of the West Seneca Central School Districts 2025-26 budget at the March 25 work session and told trustees the board is expected to adopt a final budget on April 8 and hold the public budget vote on May 20.

The district is proposing a tax levy increase of 2.75 percent; the actual tax rate change for individual homeowners will depend on town assessment rolls and equalization rates, which the district said will be clearer in April. District staff said they are planning conservatively because they do not expect the New York State budget to be finalized before the April board meeting.

Staff said the second draft reduced the projected reliance on fund balance from an $8.3 million allocation to $5.5 million, which the presentation noted equals roughly 3.31 percent of appropriations against a roughly $162 million budget. The district said it historically budgets about 2 percent of appropriations from fund balance and that the trend is moving toward a smaller use of reserves.

Special-education spending was a major focus. Staff reported a combined set-aside of $1.25 million: $500,000 in a district line for special-education tuition outside BOCES and $750,000 held in reserves related to BOCES placements. The presentation said in-district special-education programming has expanded because placement capacity through BOCES is limited.

Three propositions will be on the May ballot alongside the budget: the overall school district budget, a bus purchase proposition to spend existing bus-reserve funds (district staff said the total proposed expenditure for additional and replacement buses would be just over $1 million) and a planned $8.5 million auditorium infrastructure proposition for lighting, rigging and sound upgrades at the districts middle and high school auditoriums.

Staff warned that bus pricing and availability are volatile; manufacturers notified the district that tariffs and supply constraints could raise chassis prices as much as 25 percent, and staff said they will change ballot language to request an amount rather than specify types or sizes of buses to retain procurement flexibility.

District staff highlighted a $100,000 capital outlay project for replacement exterior doors at Northwood Elementary. The district expects to receive 76 percent state aid on that work. Staff also noted an updated Teachers' Retirement System contribution estimate of 9.59 percent for budgeting purposes.

On personnel, the board approved agenda item 3a by voice vote: the motion passed 7-0. The meeting record shows no board member opposed and no abstentions.

Superintendent and trustees discussed outreach to voters and the timing of budget assessments. Trustees also expressed support for the auditorium investment, noting the facilities are in regular curricular and community use and that equipment rentals have been increasingly expensive.

Next steps: district staff will bring a final draft budget to the April 8 board meeting for adoption and will continue to refine numbers as state aid information and town assessments become available.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Work Session, March 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District staff presented updated budget numbers including a 2.75% levy increase, a reduced planned use of fund balance and three propositions for voters: the school budget, bus purchases and an $8.5 million auditorium infrastructure plan. The board approved a personnel item (3a) 7-0 during the meeting.","taxTitle","WEST SENECA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38550,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6099118,"West Seneca facilities director proposes staffing restructure, tech upgrades to address retirements and backlogs",2506,79000,2585000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2821473-04878f689f1a9c2a5a68c444f0238f2f&start=79&end=2585","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2821473-04878f689f1a9c2a5a68c444f0238f2f/thumbnail_79000.jpg","/articles/6099118/New-York/West-Seneca-facilities-director-proposes-staffing-restructure-tech-upgrades-to-address-retirements-and-backlogs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099118-4557308b024cef5d649915e1503f4f73/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171280&Signature=LU4k3WiUWHNnYlD0vr6cEYm9xoo5VzlGjUAMcnh9eXkJrylQqvFy1IJaR6MJsuciM~RwraToR87RIEZ0jhc~LiA45sKBqpX5nNBMuBvWfUtnVptJpZiUNDyxLfxg~fNKyMkXF-Gp~R~3yw3qaEUiyOBfauVWdfj-sAGZQoRfc0uOIH9Tsl6HTWbSfwjSh0Z9wsvUHf6qzIhu6Qbcmwe3143YyvfOv7XssAT8VAtOQuaROD2e4MxgD2tnCtTF8AY0J8QaGCGgIWVDm3xFkbSYCMlGHY32csJz35osXzjvIqTz36Dj8UhqZs4fIMmMz0UvN7vHRBDxwfCfUCjELCzCSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mick Barr, director of facilities for the West Seneca Central School District, told the board during its March 25 work session that the districts buildings and grounds department is understaffed at several levels and is facing an imminent wave of retirements that will remove \"over 300 years\" of institutional experience.

Barr said the department currently operates in a reactive mode because of vacant management posts and high daily workloads. \"Wee rushing to put out fires,\" he said, and proposed a three-person leadership teamour roles he said would include a director of facilities, an assistant director and a filled executive housekeeperto shift the office toward proactive planning and preventative maintenance.

The proposed reforms center on four pillars: reorganized management and career pathways, structured training, greater technology integration and targeted equipment purchases. Barr said creating intermediate job titles such as \"senior custodian\" and maintenance-helper roles would give early-career employees multiple pathways to advance, and that formal training partnerships could complement on-the-job mentoring.

Barr outlined specific technology and equipment requests. He asked the district to adopt HelixIntel and Schneider Electrics EcoStruxure platform for cloud-based asset tracking and preventative-maintenance scheduling to replace the districts older Qware work-order system. He requested 15 VPN-enabled take-home laptops for lead custodians and crew chiefs and 15\u00121 Chromebooks with world-facing cameras to support mobile barcode-based work ordering. Barr also recommended investing in robotic floor scrubbers, proposing an aggressive target of purchasing 15 machines over five years as a \"force multiplier\" to free staff for inspections, repairs and other higher-skill tasks.

Barr proposed workforce-development partnerships with local providers, naming ECC (the Erie County Community College building-management and maintenance program) and Erie 1 BOCES as potential sources of customized courses and hands-on training. He said such programs could be tailored so employees who want to advance to head custodian or maintenance mechanic roles could take targeted classes rather than a full two-year program.

Board members and staff pressed practical questions about sequencing and civil-service constraints. Several trustees emphasized the need to fill building-level, hands-on positions first so that day-to-day operations are maintained while new management positions are considered. Barr acknowledged civil-service requirements for some titles and that certain positions require competitive testing. He also said some roles have been vacant for months or years: the executive housekeeper position was vacant prior to November 2022; an assistant superintendent of buildings and grounds/head custodian on special assignment vacancy dates to July 2024; and a maintenance mechanic crew chief role has been effectively vacant since January 2025 following a staff medical retirement.

Barr and district staff said they intend to pursue the technology upgrades and training in a fiscally neutral way where possible, and that the current staffing plan is intended to be staffing-neutral overall rather than a reduction in workforce. District leadership also discussed reconstituting a facilities committee to pair building-condition survey work with staffing and operational planning.

The presentation drew support for workforce-development ideas from trustees who suggested outreach to BOCES and career fairs for students; trustees also asked for a building-by-building staffing needs assessment. Barr said he would provide a menu-style staffing plan showing current versus recommended levels and how proposed equipment or training would affect staffing and duties.

The board did not take any formal action on staffing or technology at the March 25 meeting. Barr said he would return with additional data, including a recommended staffing matrix and further details on technology rollouts and training partnerships.","Mick Barr, the districts director of facilities, outlined a multi-year plan to reorganize the buildings and grounds department, expand training and technology, and create career pathways to replace a wave of retirements while keeping the plan staffing-neutral.","actionData","errors"]

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West Seneca presents second draft 2025-26 budget; voters to consider budget, buses and auditorium on May 20

West Seneca facilities director proposes staffing restructure, tech upgrades to address retirements and backlogs