Medina school budget doesn’t increase taxes for 10th straight year

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 May 2021 at 8:32 am

MEDINA – The Board of Education has adopted a $39,323,374 school budget for 2021-22 that doesn’t increase taxes for the 10th straight year.

The budget, however, maintains all existing programs and will help students catch up in learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Next year’s proposed budget accounts for the challenges schools have faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, and will allow the district to do everything possible to address the learning loss that has happened during the recent school shutdowns,” Mark Kruzynski, district superintendent, wrote in a letter to the community.

The tax levy, what the district collects in taxes, remains at $8,641,861. Medina now has not increases taxes in 13 of the last 14 years.

The budget vote will be May 18 from noon to 8 p.m. in the District Office Board Room.

The budget was adopted by board on April 21. It maintains all academic and extra-curricular programs, including modified sports, gifted and talented opportunities, and clubs.

Medina’s overall state aid is up $1,265,391 or by 4.6 percent from $27,494,499 to $28,759,890. The district’s Foundation Aid is up $539,981 or by 3.0 percent from $17,999,389 to $18,539,370.

The budget is down more than $1 million from the $40,491,733 in 2020-21. The proposed spending plan eliminates one clerical and three teaching positions through attrition.

The budget includes the purchase of two large buses. It eliminates one contract bus run and returns it to the district, resulting in $74,800 savings, Kruzynski said.

The budget also includes a new Bobcat vehicle for the Buildings and Grounds department. The district superintendent also said a 2010 capital bond has been paid off.

There are also three seats up for election in Medina this year. There are two 3-year terms and 1-year term that will assume duties on May 19. None of the incumbents – Ann Webster Bunch, Lori Draper, or Brian Koch –submitted petitions to be on the ballot.

Two people – Corrine Ryan and Alissa Bruce – submitted petitions and will be on the ballot. This means at least one of the three vacant seats will be filled by write-in candidates.

People who need an absentee ballot for the budget vote and election should contact District Clerk Julie Kuhn at 585-798-2700 or via email at jkuhn@medinacsd.org.