Patritto: Budget cuts won't be excessive

By RALPH ANSAMI

[email protected]

Hurley — Unlike recent years, the Hurley School District is not facing drastic cuts to balance its 2016-’17 budget.

District administrator Chris Patritto told the school board on Monday that although a “very, very preliminary” estimated budget is in the planning stages, his “rough guess” is that the initial deficit the school board will face will be around $75,000.

He estimated revenues for the 2016-’17 budget at around $7.1 million, with expenditures in the neighborhood of $7.2 million.

Patritto said school officials should be able to get a more accurate picture of the upcoming school year budget compared to past years because they will be dealing with the second year of Gov. Scott Walker’s education budget.

For example, Patritto said the school district stands to gain an additional $60,000 in federal aid.

“I feel very good about where we sit right now,” Patritto told the school board. “I have no big concerns.”

The board will have the next 10 months or so to come up with cuts or new revenue sources to balance the budget. Dipping into the district’s sizable fund balance is one possibility.

In recent years, the school board has had to make drastic cuts, including teaching positions and other employees, because of reductions in state aid to school districts.