Brentwood UFSD projects $38 million transportation budget as district readies general fund plan

Stacy, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance and operations, told the Brentwood Union Free School District Board of Education that staff have begun formal budget development for the coming school year and will present a general fund budget for community review ahead of the May vote. “What we're doing is we're planning for the upcoming school year. We take input from all stakeholders … and we have to quantify it, turn it into finances, and see how it fits into our budget,” Stacy said.

The presentation outlined the district’s calendar and major budget drivers. Salaries and benefits, Stacy said, make up the largest share of expenditures — “about 75 to 80% of our budget” — and state aid, especially Foundation Aid, is the single largest revenue source. Stacy said Foundation Aid accounts for about 86% of the district’s state aid and warned that proposed changes to the state formula could materially affect the district. She summarized recommendations from a state-commissioned review by the Rockefeller Institute, noting the institute’s suggestion to use more current data, to recognize actual poverty measures rather than a floor-and-ceiling combined-wealth ratio, and to phase in any changes to avoid abrupt shifts…