Tuesday, April 20, 2021 - 1:38 pm
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.