Budget Development - "Built for Groton Today, Prepared for Tomorrow." While school budgets can often feel like a collection of complex spreadsheets, our approach was collective and thorough, ensuring every line item serves as a strategic investment in our children's future. This plan provides the fiscal foundation for long-term stability, allowing us to maintain high-quality programming even as one-time federal grants expire. We are navigating the same fiscal constraints facing many districts across New York - less state aid contributions towards school budgets while the cost of operations and employee benefits continues to rise. Despite a very modest increase in state foundation aid of 1.99% or $195,636, we are presenting a plan that maintains all current student programming by blending state aid and grant revenues with a local tax levy designed to be mindful of our taxpayers' long-term commitment. In addition, this budget has been built with future budgets in mind, with a goal of ensuring our schools remain safe, sustainable, and focused on the future. The budget also includes resources to replace exterior doors and purchase two school buses and (1) seven passenger van.