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Mount Sinai board reviews first budget workshop: central administration, insurance, BOCES charges, transportation and debt service
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Cristioni led a budget workshop covering BOE central administration (a $14,000 proposed increase), insurance estimates (about a 15% increase), BOCES administrative charges (estimated 5% increase), a transportation RFP with a 2.5% contract increase, and debt-service assumptions.
Dr. Cristioni, superintendent, presented the first segment of the district's budget workshop, covering Board of Education central administration, insurance, central printing, BOCES administrative charges, transportation and debt service. She said this segment represents about 11% of the total budget being reviewed at the meeting.
Dr. Cristioni said the proposed central-administration increase is "a very minimal increase" of $14,000 and described the line as covering board dues, professional development, public notices, business-office operations and related functions. She described printing costs as held steady.
On insurance, Dr. Cristioni said the district budgeted an estimated increase of "about 15% plus contingency" to cover liability, umbrella, auto, student-accident, errors-and-omissions and cyber insurance. For BOCES administrative charges she reported an estimated 5% increase; she said that BOCES administrative charges described the district share of administrative and facilities costs, not the direct student services BOCES provides.
On transportation, Dr. Cristioni noted an RFP for transportation is under way. She said the current contracted annual increase on the district's basic package is 2.5% and that transportation costs have fallen in some categories because the district is using fewer out-of-district special-education placements and spending less on nonpublic transportation.
For debt service Dr. Cristioni said the budget uses a 6% estimate for interest and noted the district's overall debt-service obligations include a bond tied to the middle-school roof and an installment lease on a vehicle. She also mentioned an energy performance contract and a cybersecurity subscription (Darktrace) in the business section. Dr. Cristioni summarized the net increase for the first section as roughly $140,000 (speaker gave amounts in that range) and said the board would review the remaining 89% of the budget at future workshops.
Board members asked clarifying questions during the presentation. A board member identified as Linda asked about the interest rate on tax anticipation notes; Dr. Cristioni replied that the district was using a conservative estimate (she said approximately 4–5% in practice) and that the budget model therefore used a higher estimate to provide cushion.
