After hours of deliberation and three separate votes on the full-day-K issue, the Guilderland School Board drafted a budget proposal that includes full-day Kindergarten.
Superintendent John McGuire brought a budget proposal to the Guilderland School Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, April 7, that did not include a full-day program, a topic that was debated numerous times at school board and citizen’s budget advisory committee meetings.
The budget proposal passed 8-0, and represents an $85,320,425 spending plan, a 1.79 percent increase in spending from this year’s budget. If passed, it will result in approximately a 0.58 percent tax increase or $11 on $100,000 of assessed value- after the STAR reduction, which would be the lowest in more than 15 years, according to information from the district.
Richard Weisz, the board’s president, was the champion of the full-day-K program, and made his pitch to the board members, who initially seemed to favor holding off on the program until the economy gets better.
Is there anybody who really believes the state will not mandate full-day Kindergarten for public schools? Weisz asked. `I can’t believe that our state is not going to come back in the next three years and say you have to have full-day Kindergarten.`
Weisz said a decrease in student population over the next few years will help the district save money, and ultimately help pay for full-day Kindergarten after stimulus money runs out.
He said there will be 65 fewer high school students next year and 70 the year after that.
`We want great kids and great families to move to Guilderland,` he said. He said he was worried about a decrease in demand for Guilderland property if the district did not offer full-day Kindergarten, which would ultimately drive down property value and tax revenue.
Board member Barbara Fraterrigo spoke out against full-day Kindergarten, and voiced concerns about the tax implications of the program after state and federal funding runs out.
`There’s no way under the sun we can afford it,` Fraterrigo said.
`I’m flabbergasted at this sort of turnaround,` she said. `The tax-payer is crying out,’Give us time,’` she said.
She said waiting another year and seeing how the economy is doing then, is a better plan.
She said the program would get more expensive as it goes, since teachers’ salaries will go up.
`We’re just turning our backs on the people,` she said.
Board member Catherine Barber came out against full-day Kindergarten during the debate.
`Overall I think this budget gives us what we need.` She did not support full-day Kindergarten.
`It’s not the year for it,` she said.
O’Connell also advocated for full-day Kindergarten, and even after an initial 4-4 vote was taken indicating the amendment would not make it in final proposal, she asked for another count.
`I believe we are really missing an opportunity for aid,` O’Connell said.
John Dornbush, vice-president of the board, was the swing vote for the full-day Kindergarten issue.
`I can’t support full-day KindergartenI don’t think we can afford it,` Dornbush said initially.
Dornbush later changed his mind, indicating he would support full-day Kindergarten after hearing arguments made by Weisz. He then changed his mind again, indicating the program would be too expensive after hearing arguments from Frateriggo. He ultimately voted in favor of including the program, swinging the tally to 5-3 in favor.
One area Dornbush was sure on was his feelings toward technology.
`I support math, science and technology. That’s where the jobs are going to be.` Dornbush said Project Lead the Way and sending students to Tech Valley are two initiatives he supports.
Nicole DiGrado, a student at Tech Valley, told the board how much she enjoys her being a student there.
Digrado, one of the two students attending Tech Valley from the Guilderland School District, said she `loves` the experience, and invited each member of the board to visit the school to see its hands-on approach in action.
`Many politicians have supported the program, such as Sens. [Kirsten] Gillibrand and [Charles] Schumer.`
Thomas Henderson also spoke on its behalf. His daughter has been accepted to Tech Valley, and is excited to attend. `She’ll be devastated if she can’t attend. For you it’s only one student ` for her it’s her future.`
Tuition for Tech Valley High School, a hands-on alternative to traditional high-school, was ultimately included.
Weisz also addressed a number of potential issues the district will need to deal with in the future.
He said eventually the district will have to deal with the number of employees it houses, as student attendance is slated to decline over the next several years.
`We have to change the number of people delivering services,` he said.
He said the school district has 212 teacher’s assistants, more than twice the next highest district.
`I have no idea why that is,` Weisz said. He said he was interested in learning more about how to efficiently use the teaching assistants the district has.
The board debated a series of budget amendments, dealing with teaching assistants, social workers, nurses, professional services and technology. Questions about the district’s responsibility to the private schools in the district, St. Madeleine Sophie School and Christ the King School as mandated by state law, were raised.
`It’s so critically important to have these people on staff,` Fraterrigo said of school nurses. `For the health and safety of the kids,` she said.
Tom Hosey, a parent in the district, said he supports a full-time nurse, specifically because his son has allergies that could need immediate attention.
`Cutting a number may make sense mathematically to the budget equation, but eliminating the service makes no sense,` he said.
The two schools combined will feature one full-time equivalent, which the board said fulfills its responsibility.
`You really have to distinguish between wants and need here,` said board member Colleen O’Connell in opposition. `The focus has to be on what is our legal obligation.`
A vote to include an amendment for the nurse failed 2-to-6.
Board member Judy Slack spoke in favor of keeping additional teaching assistants, which at the time of discussion, were slated for second-grade, although, the final proposal allows them to be allocated at the discretion of the principals.
`If we cut the second-grade TA’s, we’ve made a major program change. We need to work through a committeeso people would not be blind-sighted, Slack, said. `I’m not sure that’s the right thing to have done.`
She supported an additional FTE at the middle school, citing the importance of eight-grade academics for students hoping to advance to college.
By the end of the meeting, the only amendments to pass, were the $32,000 in cuts for professional development, $32,000 in cuts for the technology budget, and the addition of $64,000 for one FTE in Farnsworth Middle School for the Atlas program, and full-day Kindergarten.
A total of five full-time positions were restored from 27 proposed teaching assistant cuts discussed before stimulus aid was introduced.
Weisz commended those involved in the budget process. `I wish that every government agency is as open and transparent as we were,` Weisz said.
Superintendent John McGuire thanked everyone involved with the budget process for their hard work.
`I am extremely appreciative and impressed with respect to the efforts of everyone involved in this year’s budget process,` said McGuire. `Our staff, Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee and Board of Education have worked diligently to meet the goal of maintaining an excellent Guilderland education for our students in a manner that is accountable to our supportive community taxpayers.`
`As a whole, this budget was beaten with a lot of sweat and blood,` said member Denise Eisele said.
The public will vote on the final budget proposal on May 19.“