Although Gov. George Pataki's $105.5 billion budget proposal submitted this week will certainly be changed by the state Legislature, local school district officials say the governor's numbers will guide their own spending plans.

School districts are required by law to have their own budgets turned in by May, but the state Legislature has frequently failed to adopt a final state budget by that time.

"We often become involved in a big guessing game," Skaneateles Superintendent Walter Sullivan said. "Even if we don't have the finally numbers. we still have to submit our budget."

According to Pataki's proposal, the Skaneateles school district would receive the smallest state aid increase among local districts, while Southern Cayuga is looking at the biggest jump.

"If our level of aid doesn't increase, then we will have to really look at our priorities," Sullivan said. "For instance, instead of being able to accomplish goals one, two and three, we may just have to focus on one and two."

Southern Cayuga is currently looking at possibly receiving a 6.21-percent increase in state aid. Putting them well above some of the other schools in the area.

"Most of our increase is in our special education program," Southern Cayuga Superintendent Peter Cardamone said. "We are going to work on the numbers they are giving us, but we won't count on getting that large an increase."

According to Pataki, this year's $526 million increase is school aid statewide is the largest increase ever proposed by a governor.

Republican State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno has said Pataki's proposal is well below what the Senate and Assembly plan to do.

Though the state budget is scheduled to be finalized in April, both Cardamone and Sullivan are very doubtful that will be the case.

The state has not had a budget done on time in more than 20 years.

However, they will continue to work on their districts budgets in order to have them finalized by May.

"In the summer as we go out to present the budget to the community, it can sometimes be a problem because we do not know numbers," Sullivan said. " But we are hopeful that the state will adopt their budget on time."

Staff writer Ashley Lipsky can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235 or ashley.lipsky@lee.net