Niagara Falls, NY (WBEN) Gas prices have been hitting everybody hard, and the Niagara Falls City School District is no exception. The superintendent says it's one of the reasons the district dipped into reserves to balance its budget.
Superintendent Mark Laurrie says everyone's feeling the pinch at the pump personally. "Diesel fuel has increased $2 a gallon, and we run 45 busses daily, and when you multiply that times the mileage that they have to run and the increase in cost, it's certainly hitting this year's budget and had to be planned for next year's budget, despite our hopes that it might come down," says Laurrie.
Laurrie says it's one of many reasons the district dipped into reserve funds to make this budget balanced. "We made a decision, a conscious decision, with the board to at least for next year, go with the use of reserves, not raising taxes, not cutting programs, taking retirements as a way to reduce staff," says Laurrie. He says another factor is the cost of health insurance.
He says dipping into reserves is not the long term solution. "You hate to say it, but you have to start looking at people and programs, and I really hope and pray that we don't get to that. But down the road, if this doesn't subside and even drop a little bit, you know that's the only other place to go, unless you can find a different source of revenue," says Laurrie.
Laurrie says he's also awaiting how much will be allocated to the district in the state budget, which has yet to be passed.
Falls schools dipping into reserves as a result
Falls schools dipping into reserves as a result
