Maintaining small classroom sizes, keeping tax rates workable, supporting sports and special education, and building the fund balance were among the top priorities voiced by residents in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District Tuesday night at a board of education-sponsored public forum.
Board members received input from about 30 residents, mostly parents of district students, on the most up-to-date version of the 2007-2008 district wide spending plan. The plan calls for a tax increase of 6.1 percent, down from the originally anticipated hike of 12.9 percent. The reason for the drastic drop in what will come out of taxpayers’ pockets? Unexpectedly generous New York State aid.
The governor’s proposed aid package wasn’t released to us until January, said assistant superintendent for support services Jackie St. Onge. `But the plan came out with advantages for us. Last year, we saw just a 1 percent increase in aid; this year, it’s proposed at 3 percent, or $400,000 in additional state aid.`
St. Onge said district officials are `cautiously optimistic` about the aid numbers staying concrete as the state budget gets tweaked.
`There are some districts adversely affected, such as those in Long Island, and there is still a fight to come,` said St. Onge. `They will protest, and that leaves many unknowns.`
In its most recent draft, the 2007-2008 district budget stands at $50,383,630, a 7.2 percent increase from the current spending plan.
Among some of the factors board members have wrestled with to maintain a balanced budget are keeping utility costs and staff salaries manageable. The district will save roughly $500,000 this year alone by purchasing health insurance as part of a 15-school-district consortium. All district employees and retirees also pay a portion of their health insurance costs.
The district has locked in low electricity rates until 2010 by joining a multi-year group contract; however, natural gas costs could rise as much as $100,000 in the coming year. Also, diesel fuel costs could rise by 7 percent or $16,000 due to a state law requiring ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in all school buses. In transportation costs, the excellent safety record of BH-BL bus drivers and mechanics allowed the district to negotiate reduced commercial auto insurance premiums for the 2006-2008 time period.
On Tuesday, the board turned from paperwork to gathering suggestions, ideas and questions from the audience. Residents gave their views both individually and in small focus groups.
Caps on the number of students in a classroom and keeping special education programs consistent were among the chief concerns.
`At Charlton Elementary, the kids need to take so many required tests, and we need small class sizes for the kids to learn,` said Linda Fieldhouse. `The curriculum is growing, and it’s easier for students who need extra help to fall through the cracks with classes of 24 to 25.`
`My child has been shunted around from place to place for special education, and it’s been detrimental,` said Helen Ross. `Is there a long-range plan? It’s unfair on the children to have classes at one school, then a different school the next year. They have anxiety issues.`
Taxpayers also gave their feedback on whether they’d support an additional one-half percent tax increase to build the district’s fund balance. `I manage our bills at home, and it’s important to have a fund balance,` said Sheryl Lauria. `Everyone has to make sacrifices to save money. There should be money left for emergencies.`
Another proposal under board consideration is attracting corporate sponsorship of district programs, an idea that was met with mixed reactions.
`I think it’s unattractive to have a corporate name splashed on athletic fields, for example,` said Liza McErlean. `But if we do it, it would be better coming from small local businesses rather than from large corporations.`
`We don’t want to be seeing the ‘Pepsi Spartans,’` said school board member Timothy Kelliher.
`No one in the Suburban Council is doing this type of corporate sponsorship,` said Lauria. `We would need very strong guidelines on banners, with lots of size limitations, but it could be a good way to find alternative revenues.`
The proposed budget will face continuous scrutiny before voters head to the polls on May 15.
Until April, there will be ongoing lobbying and refinement of expenditures and revenues. Another public budget forum will be held on Wednesday, March 14, at 7 p.m. at the Ballston town hall. The board will vote on the finalized version of the budget on April 17. Budget updates and announcements can be accessed on www.bhbl.org.“