With $700k in Additional State Aid, Homeowners May Get Relief While Teacher Jobs are Safe

Teachers in the Port Chester School District can breathe easier, and homeowners may get some tax relief thanks to a significant bump in state aid to the school district.

The state will provide an additional $692,900 in aid to Port Chester schools, Assistant Superintendent Maura McAward said Tuesday.

The news is welcome within the school district and the larger community, as the Board of Education and district leaders had been to staff and programs for months.

The school district, saddled by the same rising pension costs as other districts and local governments, prepped for layoffs despite a that would raise property tax bills by more than $600 for some residents.

But on Tuesday, McAward said the additional state aid would prevent cuts that impact the classroom and after-school programs. Facing its own budget crisis, state leaders slashed aid to school districts across New York this year, but the $682,900 windfall will help Port Chester partially between last year's budget and this year's latest proposed plan.

The tax levy will drop, but it wasn't immediately clear how much relief homeowners should expect. The additional state aid means figures released in the latest budget draft -- which showed tax bill increases ranging from $87 for homeowners on Alto Avenue, to $677 for King Street homeowners -- are outdated.

“It’s going to be a pretty substantial reduction, but it’s very individually based,” McAward said.

After some number-crunching, officials say there are other reasons for the sunnier financial outlook, including the pending retirement of 26 mostly long-time teachers. The district will replace the veteran educators with younger teachers, saving $1.2 million.

Smaller expenses were also trimmed to scrounge up some extra dough. In many cases, the district downsized instead of cutting positions or programs entirely. For example, three library clerks will work six hours a day instead of eight, saving the district $18,000.

And this past year, in a , Port Chester schools switched to online-only calendars, instead of the printed copies traditionally sent home with students. This year, the district will go back to paper copies at a cost of $1,400.

For now, details on the state aid-adjusted budget are still being worked out. But in a school system where more kids are enrolling every year, much to the , educators say they're holding the line by saving teaching jobs.

“There are several classes in the district that have over 25 [students] in them," said Jim Taylor, president of the school board. "That doesn’t give much room to reduce staff."

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