Kenneth C. Crowe II is reporting for the Times Union the Rensselaer Board of Education May 18, voted unanimously to propose a tax levy increase of 19.5 percent as part of its proposed $27.7 million 2020-21 budget. The board will draw down its financial reserves to avoid an even larger tax hike. The district originally considered a 24.5 percent increase as part of a long-term effort to restore fiscal stability, but the administration reconsidered the amount after thinking about the impact it would have on city taxpayers. “Nobody enjoys a 19.5 percent increase. But we have to turn the ship around,” said board President John Mooney. The Rensselaer district is attempting to restore its finances following an 11 percent tax levy drop as part of the 2017-18 school budget. Since then, the tax levy increased 8.33 percent for the 2018-19 school year, followed by 4.98 percent in the current 2019-20 spending plan. “If we don’t do something, we’re going to be bankrupt in a year or two,” Mooney said about declining cash reserves and relying on that money to balance the budget. The district is cutting 7.5 positions, increasing class size for the upper elementary school grades to 27 students from 19 students, and eliminating one section of kindergarten. The public will vote on the spending plan as part of the June 9 mail-in vote. Read full story in the Times Union.