Brittnay Spry, Jamestown Public Schools director of budget and finance, is pictured Tuesday during a budget hearing. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

A final run-through of Jamestown Public Schools’ proposed $101 million budget for the 2023-24 school year was held this week.

Brittnay Spry, district director of budget and finance, again went over the spending plan that was approved by Board of Education members in April and which includes no increase to the tax levy and the creation of a $5 million capital reserve fund for future capital projects.

A budget hearing was held Tuesday evening at Jefferson Middle School.

Regarding state foundation aid, which Spry noted was “the largest piece of our budget,” the school district will see a 16.5% increase.

“It’s exciting to see a large increase in our budget without passing any of that expense along to our community,” Spry said.

Because the aid increase is more than 10%, JPS is required to submit a plan on how the funds will be used to “address student performance and need.”

As noted on its website, JPS said the increase in foundation aid will be used to “right-size our revenue to cover actual costs.”

The plan, available online, further states: “Over the past several decades, District programs and operations have ebbed and flowed in times that Foundation Aid had increased, or had been frozen. The full phase-in of Foundation Aid will allow JPS to increase and maintain our programs and supports for students.”

Specially, the district plans to establish “student support centers” to address literacy and math needs. The budget calls for adding a math teacher, an ELA teacher and two paraprofessionals each at Jamestown High School and Persell, Washington and Jefferson middle schools for the student support centers.

At each elementary school, the district will create two teaching positions to “provide additional reading support.”

Other highlights included:

¯ relocating the nurse’s office at Washington Middle School for the creation of a school-based health center.

¯ creating an assistant principal position at Fletcher Elementary School, the second largest school within the district.

¯ replacing the “Red Raiders” name and image throughout the district as required by the state Department of Education.

¯ re-surfacing and addressing of drainage at the tracks at Persell and Washington middle schools.

¯ ongoing support of two school resource officers in a partnership with the Jamestown Police Department.

¯ upgrading the heating system at Persell.

The district’s full foundation aid plan can be viewed at jpsny.org/Page/12429

Voting for the 2023-24 school budget and Board of Eduction will take place from noon-9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16. Polling sites in Jamestown include Jefferson, Lincoln and Washington schools.

There are four candidates to fill three open seats on the school board: Paul Abbott, currently the school board president who is seeking his sixth term; Christine Schnars, also an incumbent who is seeking her third term on the school board; John Panebianco, who is seeking his first term on the board; and Missy Paterniti, who also is seeking her first term on the board.