SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – On Tuesday, the Syracuse City School District Department of Education met for the second time in as many days. The Board first met Monday evening for a work session. One of the biggest focuses of last night’s gathering was the district’s 2024 budget. Chief Financial Officer Michael Puntschenko provided board members with a positive update. “When I talk about our current projections as we look forward going through the rest of the year, projected expenses at the end of the year at this point in time are projected to be about $20 million below budget which is about three point eight percent,” Puntschenko said. “Keep that ‘about three point eight percent in mind’,” he said. “When you have a budget that’s over $500 million dollars give or take, $20 million dollars is less than four percent.”
The surplus means the Board could vote to increase the committed fund balance by four percent for next year’s budget. Puntschenko added that the district has about $240 million in cash on hand and as a result, won’t need to borrow any money.
The board met for a second time this morning for its first policy committee meeting of the year. The group reviewed proposed policies for district investments and the procurement of goods and services. In the end, no revisions were recommended for ethier policy. The Board meets again on April 10th for its monthly business meeting.
