GREENE – Residents of the Greene Central School District will face an estimated 2 percent tax levy increase in the coming year, based on the tentative budget adopted by the district’s board of education earlier this month.

According to Superintendent Jonathan Retz, the proposed spending plan totals $23,960,520, an 0.21 percent or $49,952 increase in spending over the current year’s budget.

Developing the budget for the 2011-12 academic year was no small feat, particularly since the district faced a $2.284,636 budget gap. According to Retz, the gap was driven by a combination of state aid reductions and “significant increases” in health insurance premiums, retirement contributions and energy costs.

“This was a very difficult process. The board of education, administrative team and all staff have worked together to confront this challenge,” the superintendent said.

In order to balance the budget, the district will need to cut staff, reduce in expenditures wherever possible and raise the tax levy by the previously mentioned 2 percent.

“We are also applying just under $1 million from reserves to bridge this year’s gap,” Retz said.

The steepest cuts are in personnel. Twenty-one positions have been slated for elimination. According to the superintendent, seven of these positions – one administrator, three teachers, one teaching assistant, one teacher’s aide and one clerical – are retirements which will not be filled. In addition, nine teachers, one social worker, three teaching assistants and one teacher’s aide will lose their jobs.