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Greenville could see jump in foundation aid
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
GREENVILLE — Many rural school districts in New York state are expected to see a decline in foundation aid if Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to remove the “hold harmless” language from the executive budget proposal goes through.
Greenville is not one of them.
In fact, the Greenville Central School District could actually see a jump in school foundation aid.
“Hold harmless” is a decades-old provision that guarantees that school districts cannot see a reduction in state foundation aid from the previous year.
At the budget meeting Feb. 26, Assistant Superintendent for Business Todd Hilgendorff told the board of education that Greenville is one of the only districts in the area that would see an increase in foundation aid from the state for the 2024-25 school year.
“Foundation aid is based on a formula that relies on a bunch of different variables,” he said. “My understanding in looking at the aid is that one of the factors that the state looks at is the wealth of a district. The number that is used for that purpose for Greenville from last year to this year, that number shifted so that the need for the district has increased.”
As the district’s wealth declined its need rose, leading to an increase in expected foundation aid, Hilgendorff said.
“That means the state picks up a higher percentage than it did in the past, and that means that we get a little bit more aid,” he noted.
Another change was a slight increase in enrollment from last school year to this year, which accounts for a big part of the formula that determines state aid.
“A number of the districts around us saw decreases in aid because their enrollment has decreased, and the governor’s proposal is that the hold harmless rule that applied in the past doesn’t apply anymore,” Hilgendorff explained. “Now, she is proposing to adjust aid to what true enrollment is.”
“That’s why some districts’ aid decreased, but in Greenville, our [enrollment] numbers have increased — not a huge amount, but it is increasing.”
Living on Purpose: The dynamic relationship between love and prayer
By Dr. William Holland
For Capital Region Independent Media
Last Sunday, I was asked to bring the morning sermon for a wonderful church in the country called Mt. Lebanon Methodist.
I had a dream recently about delivering a message and when I awoke, I went I into my office and asked God to please not let it dissipate before I could write down as much of it as I could remember. Dreams are like the morning fog that fades when the sun comes out. I was noticeably rattled and was typing feverishly. How many know when God gives you a word it’s not a suggestion? I ended up separating the content into four parts and here is one of the sections.
Within the dream, even though I was the one speaking, it was a warning of serious discipline to me. I talk a lot about love and prayer but I seldom consider that I cannot have one without the other. Sadly, more often than not, I do not have either one. I’m being bluntly honest about my lack of fervency when it comes to caring and intercession. I comprehend that compassion and having a burden to pray is measured by how filled I am with God’s Spirit. I will not pray if I do not love, and without love, I will not pray.
Do you see how these two important aspects of the Christian life work together and both are driven by faith? Why did Jesus pray so much? Because He was filled with love! The sobering question here is how do we feel about our responsibility to love and pray? Do I want to develop a passionate burden to love more and to pray more, or am I satisfied to just keep going the way that I am? In the dream, I was told the way to have more love is to pray and ask for it (I shouldn’t be surprised).
Having a deep conviction and concern for others does not just fall on my head. Yes, the nature and character of Christ lives in me, but this does not automatically transform my conscience or renew my mind. I’ve been given the demand and responsibility to close myself in with God each day and pray, and then the result of developing my relationship with Him and drawing closer to Him will be to be like Him. What is important to Him will now become my burdens, which causes these priorities to become so strong they will drive me to my knees.
This sounds wonderful, but to be honest it does not happen as much as it should. I’m often so busy with my own thoughts, I’m not considering what He wants me to do. I fill my day up with distractions and end up not asking for more sensitivity and love.
And guess what? This leaves me without a burning desire to pray. You see, when we have an understanding of our accountability to be His servant, we no longer have an excuse as to why we fail to obey. The bottom line is that evidently, I do not care like I should. Where is my reverential fear of God?
How many times have I read the passage in First Corinthians chapter 13, and yet I keep thinking it’s talking about someone else. Let’s read it again. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing.”
I’m not exactly sure what being nothing and having nothing means spiritually, but I know it’s not good. Here I see what is required of me and yet I am rebellious against it. Why? Because I would rather be absorbed and conformed to the world. Disobedience is a sin and instead of being an overcomer for Christ, I’m being overwhelmed with my own carnality.
What I fail to be convicted about is that I cannot blame my failure to live for Jesus on anyone else—even the devil. I have free will to choose whatever I want to do, and I will be the one who will answer for it.
Dr. William Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandmies.com.
