GREENE – Back in January, when the governor’s executive budget proposal was first unveiled, Greene Superintendent Jonathan Retz vowed to shield taxpayers as much as possible from absorbing the district’s state aid losses.

Even then, however, he knew that he and other district leaders would have their work cut out for them as they tried to absorb the loss of more than $233,000 in state aid while dealing with contractual obligations and rising fixed costs.

Now, more than a month and a half later, Retz says they are making progress, but there is still a long way to go.

“We’re looking at spending very carefully,” the superintendent said, explaining that based on preliminary budget figures, the district faces a $1.3 million gap.

His strategy thus far has been to review the budget line by line, a process in which the board of education’s budget committee and Business Manager Mark Rubitski are also an integral part.

“We’re progressing through,” Retz said, explaining how they have categorized spending. Fixed costs are labeled red, areas where there is some flexibility are yellow and areas where cuts are possible to a greater degree are labeled green.

“I think it’s a very valuable way of looking at it,” the superintendent reported.

Retz, who assumed the district’s top administrative role in September, said he has gained an even greater appreciation for the district’s past fiscal policies as they examine the budget so closely. The $22,083,389 budget for the current 2009-10 school year represents an increase in spending of $38,265, or .17 percent, over the prior year.