Batavia school district's budget plan looks favorable

BATAVIA – The Batavia Public School Board received a primarily positive report on its five-year financial forecast at its meeting on Dec. 15.

Among a number of key assumptions pertaining to its future, the district projects student enrollment is likely to return to pre-pandemic trajectory in 2022. However, enrollment is projected to continue to decrease by roughly 2 to 4% annually over the next five years.

The district is also expected to pay all outstanding bonded debt in 2026, per Chief Financial Officer Tony Inglese. Inglese said the district pays about $9 million towards it each year.

Per Inglese's graph data, across 2021 through 2026, revenue projections are slightly above expenditures. Fund balances are also expected to remain at their levels throughout the duration of the forecast.

"With all these assumptions and factors that I just mentioned, this forecast looks, promising, actually, in the sense that it does anticipate for the next five years, that the district will have a balanced budget," Inglese said. "Or, be able to afford its expenses.

Inglese cautioned, however, one caveat: The need for future reduction of staffing, possibly beginning in 2022.

"Seeing that we're experiencing declining enrollments, we do need to adjust staffing. To make that yellow line [fund balances] nice and level, we do need to reduce approximately four [full-time employment] teaching staff and maybe two FTE support staff," Inglese said.

"There can be combinations thereof, but roughly, that's about the numbers that we would need to balance things out," Inglese continued.

The full financial report can be viewed here.