Dear Bedford Central School District Parents, Guardians, and Community:

I presented the preliminary budget to the Board of Education Wednesday night.  The budget supports our comprehensive program for the learning and engagement of every Bedford Central Student – yes, every day.  The preliminary budget represents a 1.25% budget to budget increase and is under the tax levy cap of 3.37%.  Highlights of the budget presentation are in the release below. 

Mrs. Susan Elion Wollin, President of Bedford’s Board of Education, noted that school districts do not have the local autonomy that they used to have.   As Bedford’s Board President, and Vice President of Westchester Putnam School Board’s Association who is active on their Legislative Committee, Mrs. Wollin explained several aspects of State regulations and areas of needed mandate relief that are out of local school districts’ control and must be addressed in Albany.   She noted that pension contributions are the largest of the major budget drivers over which the district has no control. 

I will present more information to our PTA and PTO Presidents and other citizens about these regulatory and legislative concerns over the next few weeks. 

I hope you will take a moment to review the budget presentation on the District’s website athttp://www.bcsdny.org/files/filesystem/March%2013%202013%20Budget%20presentaion%20to%20BOE.pdf  (or go to www.bcsdny.org  and click on Budget Development).   The Board meeting can be viewed on BCSD Video On Demand http://bedfordcsdtv.pegcentral.com/index.php  

Thank you.

Jere Hochman

Superintendent of Schools

Reminder:  April 1 and May 3 are school days for all schools