Ed Management Services

Budgeting Handbook

Reserves

Establishment and funding of reserve funds should be given careful consideration in the overall financial plan for any school district. The various reserve funds which are statutorily available for school districts are described in the paragraphs which follow.

 

WORKERS' COMPENSATION RESERVE

The purpose of this reserve fund is to pay for compensation benefits and other expenditures authorized by Article 2 of the Workers' Compensation Law, and for payment of expenditures of administering this self-insurance program. The reserve may be established by board action and is funded by budgetary appropriations and such other funds as may be legally appropriated (General Municipal Law, §6j).

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE RESERVE

This reserve fund is used to pay the cost of reimbursement to the State Unemployment Insurance Fund for payments made to claimants. The reserve may be established by board action and funded by budgetary appropriations or other funds as may be legally appropriated (General Municipal Law, §6-m).

 

REPAIR RESERVE

The Repair Reserve Fund is used to pay the cost of repairs to capital improvements or equipment, which repairs are of a type not recurring annually. Voter approval is required to fund this reserve (See Opinion of the State Comptroller 81-401). Expenditures from this reserve may be made only after a public hearing has been held, except in emergency situations. If no hearing is held, the amount expended must be repaid to the reserve fund over the next two subsequent fiscal years (General Municipal Law, §6-d).

 

CAPITAL RESERVE

The Capital Reserve Fund is used to pay the cost of any object or purpose for which bonds may be issued. Voter authorization is required for both the establishment of the reserve and payments from the reserve.

The form of the required legal notice for the vote on establishing the reserve and the form of the proposition to be placed on the ballot are set forth in §3651 of the Education Law.

 

INSURANCE RESERVE

This reserve fund is used to pay judgments, claims, incidental costs and professional services connected with the investigation and settlement of claims. The reserve is funded by budgetary appropriations or any other permissive referendum. The amount that can be paid into the reserve during each fiscal year is limited to 5% of the annual budget. There is, however, no limit upon the amount which may be accumulated in the fund (General Municipal Law, §6-n).

 

PROPERTY LOSS RESERVE AND LIABILITY RESERVE

This reserve fund is similar to the liability and casualty reserve described earlier, in that it is used to pay for property loss and liability claims incurred. Separate funds for property loss and liability claims are required and these reserves may not in total exceed 3% of the annual budget or $15,000 whichever is greater. (Education Law, §1709, Subdivision 8-c).

 

MANDATORY RESERVE FOR DEBT SERVICE

Upon the sale of district property that was financed by obligations which remain outstanding at the time of sale, a reserve must be established for the purpose of retiring the outstanding obligations. The funding of the reserve is from the proceeds of the sale of district property or capital improvement (General Municipal Law, §6-l).

 

RESERVE FOR TAX REDUCTION

The purpose of this reserve is to provide for gradual use of the proceeds from the sale of school district real property where such proceeds are not required to be placed in a mandatory reserve for debt service. Specifically, the district is permitted to retain the proceeds of the sale for a period not to exceed ten years and to use them during that period for tax reduction (Education Law, §1709, Sub. 37).

Prior to the establishment of any type of reserve fund, boards of education and school district officials should carefully evaluate the long-term effect of establishing such reserves and should review the authorizing sections of the various laws to assure that management of these reserves is consistent with the provisions of those sections.

 

TAX CERTIORARI RESERVE

The governing board of any school district, by resolution, may establish a reserve to refund taxes of the current year in tax certiorari proceedings. Establishing or expending the reserve does not require voter approval. Amounts not necessary to refund taxes must be returned to the unreserved fund balance of the general fund by the first day of the fourth fiscal year following the year for which the reserve was created. (Education Law §3651, Sub.1a, 3a)

 

RESERVE FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFIT ACCRUED LIABILITY

The purpose of this account is to reserve funds for the payment of any accrued employee benefit due an employee upon termination of the employee's service.  This reserve fund may be established by a majority vote of the board of education and is funded by budgetary appropriations and such other reserves and funds that may be legally appropriated (General Municipal Law, §6-p).

Last Updated: July 11, 2013