18 Juliand Street

Bainbridge, NY 13733

 

Happy Spring!  We have been at work since November on the 2024-2025 school budget.  I wanted to briefly outline the process that the Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District goes through to develop a school budget before it is put out to voters.

A good annual budget begins with sound estimates and well-supported budgetary assumptions. Spending levels and financial resources must be gauged as accurately as possible to ensure that planned services are properly funded. To develop sound estimates, the Superintendent and the School Business Official along with the administration and Board of Education, will gather and analyze as much data as possible.    Sources of information used in preparing the budget include the following:

• Prior and current year budgets

• Prior and current year expenditures

• Current year revenue

• Debt service requirements, contracts, and other commitments

• Current economic conditions affecting revenue generation

• Revenue projections

• State and federal aid information-this often isn’t out until end of March, early April

• Collective bargaining agreements

• Multiyear capital plans

• Rate of inflation

• Tax and debt limit information, the district’s tax levy

• Strategic plans-needs and wants for the district’s future

• Input from stakeholders including taxpayers

 

Spending levels and financial resources must be accurately gauged at budget preparation time to ensure that planned services are properly funded.

Budget Calendar - The budget preparation process starts with the setting forth of the budget calendar.

• Budget Assumptions/Baseline Budget - The Superintendent and School Business Official prepare a list of "Budget Assumptions" which will guide the preparation of a preliminary "BASELINE" budget which will provide the initial estimate of the cost of maintaining all current programs, services, and personnel in the next fiscal year.

• Budget Worksheets - The School Business Official and Superintendent meet with administrators and staff to determine wants and needs for the new budget. The administration will also look for cost savings in the current budget that could be implemented the following year.

• Administrators submit their estimates and discuss their requests with the Superintendent of Schools.

• Tentative Budget prepared - The Superintendent and the School Business Official use the information they have gathered from the staff.  This involves assessing whether the total building and program estimates of appropriations are greater than the estimated financial resources and then developing a budget proposal that provides necessary appropriations within the limits of those resources and meets the Superintendent's goals and objectives.

• Superintendent's Recommended Budget completed -The Superintendent presents the tentative/proposed budget (Superintendent's Recommended Budget) to the Board of Education.   Alterations and revisions may be necessary after the BOE submits their recommendations.

The Superintendent, School Business Official, Board of Education, and administration, invest a significant amount of time and effort into preparing the annual budget. It is often a very busy and stressful time.  However, it is not meant to be a solo effort, or a budget created by one or two people.   The district welcomes community input with this process.

In the coming weeks and months please look for more information on the school budget.  I will also be discussing the budget in the local newspapers and my coffee on May 6^th, 2024. The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District is YOUR district and I welcome your involvement in this process.   

Enjoy the coming of spring and please feel free to email me at [email protected] or call the district office at 607-967-6321.

Sincerely yours,

Timothy R. Ryan

Superintendent of Schools

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, the Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District held its annual Veterans’ Day breakfast and ceremony at Greenlawn Elementary School.  This year we hosted 100 veterans and their guests!   We were honored this year to welcome Veterans from the New York State Veterans’ Home in Oxford to our breakfast.   

The event began at 8:30 a.m. with a hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, and biscuits with gravy.  Students from Greenlawn Elementary decorated the tables, made the veterans “thank you” cards and performed a medley of patriotic songs.

This is one of most important events we do during the year.  We can’t thank our veterans enough for the service to our country.  It is so important for our veterans to be recognized and for our students to have an opportunity to thank them.

This is the 7^th year the B-G district has held the breakfast and ceremony.  Our first year we had 20 in attendance and this year we had 100!”  It is the district’s goal to grow our celebration every year! Hopefully next year we will be at 125 or more!  Please help the district spread the word to all area Veterans.  The B-G district would like to thank all of our veterans for their service.  

With cold weather approaching, please make sure your contact info is up to date with the district so that we may reach you for inclement weather or emergency closing information.   Please follow me on twitter @BGsuperint for immediate closing/delay info.  Also, with the cold weather on the horizon, should your children need assistance with winter clothing, please reach out to their building to access our Bobcat Boutique in each of our three school buildings.

With the holidays just around the corner, please take time with family and friends to celebrate the end of 2023, and the beginning of 2024.  Best wishes to our Bobcat community for a safe and happy holiday season!

Sincerely,

 

Timothy R. Ryan

Superintendent of Schools

Welcome fall! It seems the warm, albeit wet, summer days have given way to chilly evenings and foggy mornings.  The school year is off and running! What a tremendous opening we had this year.  It is great to have the staff and students back in the buildings.  When you visit our campus, please notice the newly painted halls, shiny floors and refinished gymnasium floors.  The maintenance staff did a phenomenal job readying our buildings for the new school year.   Our sports teams are enjoying much success and the district is offering FREE breakfast, lunch, and school supplies, for all students for the entire school year!  Also, again this year, the After School Enrichment Program for students in grades PreK-6 is also free!

The summer has been tremendously busy here at school.   Many staff members were busy learning new programs and writing curriculum.  The district’s LINKS team met for two days to lay out the district’s professional development for the year.  We held a new staff orientation on August 29^th and 30^th for all new staff members and our Board of Education held a retreat and training session on August 23^rd to focus on goal setting, the mission for the district, and preparing for the coming year.

Agriculture in the classroom continues this year for our elementary students.  Our high school Ag teacher/FFA advisor, Emily Anderson, will be bringing Ag themed activities and experiences to our Guilford and Greenlawn classrooms this year.

Please “like” us on Facebook and keep up on the latest school information, closings and photos.   We also do a “remember when” section on Facebook to reminisce about the good old days and remember our students and staff from the years past.  This is another avenue for the school, parents and community members to better communicate.   Also this year I will begin to use Twitter as a way to share many of the great things happening at BG.   The district’s web page will still be used and is current as well.

Calling all Veterans….   Our annual Veterans Day breakfast will be Wednesday, November 8^th at 8:30 a.m. in the Greenlawn Elementary school cafeteria.  Our students will be serving our veterans a hearty breakfast and there will be a short program immediately following.  New this year we will be welcoming Veterans from the Oxford Veterans’ Home to join us. Please invite all veterans and have them RSVP with Kelly Grigoli in the district office at the school at 967-6321.

And finally, I would like to thank each and every one of you for another amazing year here at B-G.  It is great to be part of such an outstanding school staff and school community.  I am continuing my “coffees with the community” this year to connect with our school families and community members.  Please see the school website, Facebook and school calendar for these dates.   

My door is always open.   If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me at [email protected] or call the school at 967-6321.  Have an outstanding school year!

 

Timothy R. Ryan

Superintendent of Schools