Guilderland residents went back and forth debating the merits of school services and programs on the chopping block for five meetings, only to find out Tuesday, March 31, that federal stimulus money would restore millions of dollars of aid cuts.
On Tuesday, the citizens budget advisory committee weighed in with suggestions on how to best use the restored funding, and some members expressed concern that the budget they were discussing in the first four meetings is not the one that will be voted on in May.
The assumption is a full restoration of the state aid cut in Gov. [David] Paterson’s budget, said Superintendent John McGuire, reminding those in attendance of the `very large cautionary words` the districts were given. `Don’t put this money in long-term programs; it’s going away.`
He added that there were still many `unknowns` and that some questions about the funding, such as spending limitations, are still unanswered.
At the meeting, a preliminary $85 million spending plan, which includes a 1.49 percent tax increase, was recommended by the committee. Before federal stimulus aid was allocated, the proposed tax hike was 3.89 percent.
The committee’s recommendation includes a 2.1 percent increase over last year’s budget.
A final budget proposal was made at the Tuesday, April 7, school board meeting after The Spotlight went to press. Check back at www.spotlightnews.com for an update on the budget scheduled to be voted on in May.
Paterson proposed a $2.7 million cut in state aid to schools, in addition to other cuts, to help mitigate the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit.
Some programs that were once ruled out for the 2009-2010 school year, such as full-day kindergarten, are now back on the table.
The Guilderland Central School District was originally prepared to go forward with the program but the economy forced them to reconsider. However, now that funding will be restored, the program is expected to be included in the budget proposal to be voted on in May.
Some members of the budget committee said they were worried the full-day kindergarten program will be too expensive down the road.
Full-day kindergarten will cost an estimated $568,435 per year, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business Neil Sanders.
There was initially the possibility of state start-up funding for the program, but because the district pulled its proposal for the program due to the slumping economy, it will not receive that funding this year. Sanders said, though, it could still be a possibility next year.
The full-day program would add nine additional teachers and another 1.7 special area teachers.
McGuire said the `assumption` is that the restorative aid will be able to go toward full-day kindergarten, although that has not been confirmed yet.
Committee members discussed how to ensure students receive the most with the resources the district has.
One member, Allan Simpson, spoke in favor of finding creative solutions to the financial woes school districts are facing.
`Turn over every stone and see what’s there,` he said. `We’re in very, very tough economic times.`
He said even a 1.5 percent tax increase is too much to ask of residents.
He said the teacher’s assistants are taking the brunt of the cuts, and many of them work extremely hard for the $9 an hour they get paid.
He suggested that construction costs at the schools be cut in order to save jobs.
Dave Langenbach, a citizens budget advisory member, said his situation is indicative of the tough times faced by district residents, and he is supporting a budget that favors the taxpayer.
Langenbach was a bus driver in the district for 17 years and said he is afraid he may lose his home because of the magnitude of the economic climate.
`I’m that guy. I’m one of those people who fall into that category,` he said. `These are real issues that affect real people.`
He said full-day kindergarten should not be a priority and is a `financial albatross` to the taxpayer.
Christine Kenefick added that full-day kindergarten might not be as important as other benefits to youngsters.
She said she had conversations with kindergarten teachers who acknowledged that small class size and ample teacher’s assistants are more important than full-day kindergarten.
Federal reimbursement will likely affect other plans, including those to cut five additional teacher’s assistants. Some members of the advisory committee questioned why all 47 of the personnel cuts were not going to be restored.
`We felt we could do the job well with the original reductions but we’ve been listening,` McGuire said about restoring the five positions.
The five teacher’s assistant positions are for special needs math and reading students. Concerns were raised about the quality of education those students would get if all of the teacher’s assistant positions were eliminated.
Bernadette Hallam, a committee member, said athletics are important, but not as important as strong academics.
She said that although athletics have proven benefits, so do core classes, and the district should look for ways to cut sports but not eliminate the programs entirely.
She also said renegotiating contracts and cutting the health-care options from four plans to two might help save some money. “
