During state budget hearings in Albany on Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy echoed the same theme we've been hearing from the governor: the schools should be able to absorb the proposed state aid cuts without feeling the pinch.
Among other things, Duffy again pointed to the millions that school districts have in reserve funds. By the most recent estimates available, from the end of the last fiscal year in June, that totals $1.5 billion statewide.
By law, a district can have up to 4 percent of its total budget set aside in undesignated fund balance -- what many people refer to as the "rainy day fund." (The state cap used to be 2 percent, but that's been increased in the past few years.) The money is there to cover costs that might arise unexpectedly.
The governor's office says it's time for school districts to tap into those reserves to cover budget shortfalls. School officials say that's not what the reserves are for -- and add that if they use up the reserves this year, they'll have nothing left next year, when that property tax cap is expected to take effect.
Cuomo's office has released a list detailing how much each suburban district had in reserve, as of June 30. Keep in mind that a district may have spent down its reserves since then.
| Erie County: | ||
| Undesignated fund balance (in millions) | As % of budget | |
| Akron | $1.08 | 3.7% |
| Alden | $1.25 | 4.0% |
| Amherst | $2.01 | 4.5% |
| Cheektowaga | $0.93 | 2.3% |
| Cheektowaga-Maryvale | $1.41 | 4.0% |
| Cheektowaga-Sloan | $0.00 | 0.0% |
| Clarence | $2.80 | 3.9% |
| Cleveland Hill | $1.50 | 5.3% |
| Depew | $1.50 | 4.0% |
| East Aurora | $1.10 | 3.9% |
| Eden | $1.04 | 4.0% |
| Frontier | $2.92 | 4.0% |
| Grand Island | $2.07 | 4.0% |
| Hamburg | $0.70 | 1.3% |
| Holland | $0.73 | 4.0% |
| Iroquois | $1.64 | 4.0% |
| Kenmore-Tonawanda | $5.87 | 4.0% |
| Lackawanna | $1.40 | 3.2% |
| Lake Shore | $2.06 | 4.0% |
| Lancaster | $2.54 | 3.0% |
| North Collins | $0.60 | 4.0% |
| Orchard Park | $3.20 | 4.0% |
| Springville-Griffith | $1.55 | 4.5% |
| Sweet Home | $2.62 | 4.0% |
| Tonawanda | $1.00 | 3.3% |
| West Seneca | $1.49 | 1.4% |
| Williamsville | $6.19 | 3.9% |
| Niagara County: | ||
| Undesignated fund balance (in millions) | As % of budget | |
| Barker | $0.80 | 4.0% |
| Lewiston-Porter | $1.60 | 4.0% |
| Lockport | $2.07 | 2.7% |
| Newfane | $1.30 | 4.0% |
| Niagara Falls | $3.00 | 2.4% |
| Niagara-Wheatfield | $2.70 | 3.9% |
| North Tonawanda | $2.47 | 4.0% |
| Royalton-Hartland | $0.89 | 4.0% |
| Starpoint | $1.76 | 4.0% |
| Wilson | $0.95 | 4.0% |
- Mary Pasciak
E-mail me at mpasciak@buffnews.com or follow me on 
Twitter. Check out the Buffalo News' education page at www.buffalonews.com/schools.
