Medina school district won’t increase taxes for 8th straight year
District expanding Chromebook computers for more students
MEDINA – The Medina Board of Education has approved a $40,284,425 budget for the 2019-20 school year which won’t increase taxes for the 8th straight year.
The budget will go before residents on May 21, with the vote from noon to 8 p.m. The district will go over the budget during a public hearing at the annual meeting, 6:30 p.m. on May 14 at the district office.
The overall spending is up about $2.7 million from the $37,565,842, with a capital project driving some of the increase.
The district’s overall instruction costs are up about $1 million with more money for teacher salaries, special education programs, and computer-based instruction programs based on the 1:1 rollout of Chromebooks for about 900 students.
The district currently provides the Chromebook computers to about 500 students in grades 4 to 7. That will expand to grades 3 through 8, and 11th grade next school year. The following school year, 2020-2021, Medina wants to have the computers available to students in grades 3 through 12, about 1,150 total. The computers, with a warranty and software, cost about $330 to $340 each. The district’s BOCES aid through the state is covering about 80 percent of those costs, said Mark Kruzynski, district superintendent.
The district will maintain all current programs and staff in the proposed budget, and is restoring foreign language at Wise Middle School, adding a full-time music choral teacher at Wise, and combining the .5 ELA with a .5 reading teacher at the high school.
The tax levy will remain the same at $8,641,861. This is the eighth consecutive year Medina has either reduced taxes or held them in check, and the 11th out of the past 12 years.
