New York State Property Tax Report Card
Important Note: Changes in GAAP reporting requirements for fund balances affect New York State school district financial statements for periods ending June 30, 2011. Data elements for the Property Tax Report Card have been renamed and redefined in accordance with these changes. Please see http://www.p12.nysed.gov/mgtserv/districtbudgetdata.html for additional guidance.
The Laws of 2007 amended requirements concerning fund balance limits and fund balance reporting in the Property Tax Report Card:
Real Property Tax Law Section 1318 was amended to increase the limit placed on school districts' allowable unreserved, unappropriated fund balance from 2.0 percent to 3.0 percent for the 2007-08 school year and from 3.0 percent to 4.0 percent for the 2008-09 school year and thereafter.
Education Law Section 1608 was amended to require reporting of three parts of the fund balance if the proposed budget is adopted: (1) the amount and percent of the unappropriated, unreserved fund balance, (2) the reserved fund balance and (3) the appropriated fund balance. In addition, districts are required to report the actual amount and percent that the unreserved, undesignated fund was for the prior year.
For the 2011-12 Property Tax Report Card, report actual 2010-11 balances based upon the June 30, 2010 ending fund balance and estimated June 30, 2011 balances for the proposed 2011-12 budget year, as approved by the Board of Education.
Actual fund balances reported for 2010-11 are determined as follows:
Adjusted Restricted Fund Balance (old Reserved Fund Balance): Final June 30, 2010 amount, as reduced or increased, if applicable, after the adoption by the Board of Education of the estimated balance on the 2010-11 Property Tax Report Card.
Assigned Appropriated Fund Balance (old “Appropriated Fund Balance”): the actual amount listed on the tax warrant (August 2010).
Adjusted Unrestricted Fund Balance (old “Unreserved, Unappropriated” Fund Balance): the final amount retained as of June 30, 2010.
Estimated fund balances reported for 2011-12 are as of the time of School Budget and Property Tax Report Card preparation:
Adjusted Restricted Fund Balance (old Reserved Fund Balance): The estimated June 30, 2011 final balance, which will be the 2011-12 school year beginning balance.
Assigned Appropriated Fund Balance (old “Appropriated Fund Balance”): the amount estimated for subsequent school years’ taxes.
Adjusted Unrestricted Fund Balance (old “Unreserved, Unappropriated” Fund Balance) the estimated final amount to be retained as of June 30, 2011. This is the fund balance amount that is limited by law to no more than 4% of the estimated total 2011-12 budget; however, during the year it may be used to increase reserves or be appropriated for unanticipated ordinary contingent expenses.
The data collection form is submitted via SAMS (State Aid Management System) on the State Aid portal and contains revised fields to collect this data.
Property Tax Report Card is due by COB of the next business day after approval by trustees, but no later than April 23, 2011.
If you have any questions about the 2011-12 Property Tax Report Card form, please contact the Office of Management Services at (518) 474-6541 or by email to emscmgts@mail.nysed.gov.
Data
2011-12 
(249KB)
2010-11 (228KB)
2009-10 (286KB)
2008-09 (314KB)
2007-08 (266KB)
2006-07 (131KB)
2005-06 (168KB)
2004-05 (147KB)
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Subdivision 7 of Section 1608 and Sections 1716(7), and 2601-a(3) of the Education Law require:
Each year, commencing with the proposed budget for the two thousand-two thousand one school year, the trustee or board of trustees shall prepare a property tax report card, pursuant to regulations of the commissioner, and shall make it publicly available by transmitting it to local newspapers of general circulation, appending it to copies of the proposed budget made publicly available as required by law, making it available for distribution at the annual meeting, and otherwise disseminating it as required by the commissioner. Such report card shall include:
1. the amount of total spending and total estimated school tax levy that would result from adoption of the proposed budget and the percentage increase or decrease in total spending and total school tax levy from the school district budget for the preceding school year, and
2. the projected enrollment growth for the school year for which the budget is prepared, and the percentage change in enrollment from the previous year; and
3. the percentage increase in the consumer price index, from January first of the prior school year to January first of the current school year. A copy of the property tax report card prepared for the annual district meeting shall be submitted to the department in the manner prescribed by the department by the end of the business day next following approval of the report card by the trustee or board of trustees, but no later than twenty-four days prior to the statewide uniform voting day. The department shall compile such data for all school districts whose budgets are subject to the vote of the qualified voters and shall make such compilation available electronically at least ten days prior to the statewide uniform voting day.
4. the estimated amount of the appropriated fund balance, the reserved fund balance, and the retained unreserved, unappropriated (undesignated) fund balance and its percentage of the total proposed budget, and the actual amount and percentage of the unappropriated, unreserved fund balance retained in the previous year.
Data Elements on the Property Tax Report Card
TOTAL SPENDING:
Total spending shall mean total amount appropriated under the school district budget for the school year.
TOTAL SCHOOL TAX LEVY:
The difference of total spending minus other revenues. For the ensuing school year, report the estimated school tax levy. For the previous year, report the actual levy for school purposes authorized by the trustee, board of trustees or board of education.
PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT:
Enrollment of pupils as defined in subparagraph two of paragraph n of subdivision one of section 3602 of the education law. Pursuant to section 2856 of the education law, resident charter school pupils also should be included in the enrollment reported on the property tax report card.
"Public school district enrollment" shall mean the sum of the number of children:
- on a regular enrollment register of a public school district on the date which enrollment for BEDS purposes is taken;
- eligible to receive home instruction in the school district on such date;
- for whom equivalent attendance must be computed pursuant to this subdivision on such date;
- with handicapping conditions who are residents of such district who are registered on such date to attend programs under the provisions of paragraph c of subdivision two of section forty-four hundred one of this chapter;
- eligible to receive educational services on such date but not claimed for aid pursuant to subdivision seven of section thirty-two hundred two of this chapter; and
- registered on such date to attend programs
- pursuant to subdivision two of section three hundred fifty-five of this chapter or
- pursuant to an agreement between the city school district of the city of New York and Hunter College pursuant to section sixty-two hundred sixteen of this chapter.
FUND BALANCES:
Actual fund balances reported for 2010-11 are determined as follows:
Adjusted Restricted Fund Balance (old Reserved Fund Balance): Final June 30, 2010 amount, as reduced or increased, if applicable, after the adoption by the Board of Education of the estimated 2010-11 Property Tax Report Card balances.
Assigned Appropriated Fund Balance (old “Appropriated Fund Balance”): the amount listed on the tax warrant (August 2010).
Adjusted Unrestricted Fund Balance (old “Unreserved, Unappropriated” Fund Balance) the final amount retained as of June 30, 2010.
Estimated fund balances reported for 2011-12 are as of the time of School Budget and Property Tax Report Card preparation:
Adjusted Restricted Fund Balance (old Reserved Fund Balance): The estimated June 30, 2011 final balance, which will be the 2011-12 school year beginning balance.
Assigned Appropriated Fund Balance (old “Appropriated Fund Balance”): the amount estimated for subsequent school years’ taxes.
Adjusted Unrestricted Fund Balance (old “Unreserved, Unappropriated” Fund Balance) the estimated final amount to be retained as of June 30, 2011. This is the fund balance amount that is limited by law to no more than 4% of the estimated total 2011-12 budget, however, during the year it may be used to increase reserves or appropriated for unanticipated ordinary expenses.