BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

MASSENA – Massena Central School’s $59.7 million spending plan increases spending by 3%, but keeps the tax levy flat at $14.83 million.

Superintendent Pat Brady said boosts in aid allowed the district to keep the tax levy stable and will likely lead to a reduction in the tax rate once the assessments are set. The current tax rate is $19.58 per $1,000 of assessed value. Because the Massena Central School District includes property in the towns of Massena, Louisville, Brasher and Norfolk, individual tax rates for each town can have some variation.

“The District received stronger than anticipated state and federal revenues. In 2020-21 our Foundation Aid was frozen and the state began to withhold 20% of our aid due to state deficits largely caused by the pandemic. Therefore, schools began to prepare for the worse in 2021-22 but then the state budget outlook began to improve due to much smaller than projected declines in state revenues, assistance from Washington with the American Rescue Plan, and state tax increases projected to generate more than $4 billion in revenue. For Massena, Foundation Aid for Massena was increased by $2,335,414 or 9.93%. Federal aid based on the last two stimulus bills amounted to $12,647,016 which can be used over the next four years,” Brady said.

He said the funding provided by the state and federal governments allowed the school to avoid a tax levy increase, reduce the amount of fund balance used to balance the budget and improve student programing and district operations.

Brady said the budget would not be cutting any programs this year, but he’s hopeful said he believes the district will be using 20 percent of the federal stimulus funding on student learning loss created by the pandemic.

“We anticipate adding staff to assist with this effort as well as to support students' mental health needs. Key areas of focus will be summer school, after school programming, and math and English Language Arts in the classroom. We are currently working on plans in each of these areas,” he said.

The budget was approved Monday by Massena Board of Education, but will need to be affirmed by district voters.

Aside from the budget the voters will also choose two candidates for five-year terms on the board of education.

The candidates are incumbent Kristy Baker, Patricia Murphy, Timothy Hayes, Christopher Castell and Angela Frost.

The vote will be held at the Massena Community Center, 61 Beach Street, from noon to 8 p.m. on May 18.