Next workshop to feature instruction, athletics
The Bethlehem Central School District Board of Education continued paring down the 2010-11 school budget Wednesday, March 10, tentatively approving approximately $364,000 in cuts to the special education and technology portions of the budget.
The board will review the reductions again before formally adopting a budget later in March.
Last year, the technology portion of the budget was spared from cuts, and there was some discussion as to whether this was one area of the budget too important to cut.
It would be a huge setback with where we want to go, said Assistant Superintendent Jody Monroe.
A $125,000 cut to the technology replacement fund would likely mean neither the middle or high schools would see wireless Internet next year and, if the cut is maintained longer, the 6-year replacement schedule for computers could be pushed back. Board Vice President Lisa Allendorph dissented in the tentative vote.
Allendorph and Board Member Charmaine Wijeyesinghe dissented on a tentative vote to cut two technology aides (of five), which would substantially increase repair service times for computers and other equipment district wide.
In the area of special education, the board tentatively approved $236,000 in cuts, which Pupil Personnel Services Director Rita Levay said are least harmful to the program.
`We have spent a lot of time looking at every student that we serve,` she said. `It has been challenging, but I believe we can do that.`
The cuts include a teacher (of 49, to be removed by attrition), two certified occupational therapist assistants and a staff aide.
In addition to the personnel reductions, the special education program would stop providing speech and motor improvement for students not falling under state mandate.
There was some discussion as to whether cutting the COTAs was a wise decision, as there are only six occupational therapists and assistants in the department. These workers generally help struggling students one-on-one in the classroom and are viewed as a way to keep kids from having to formally enter a special education program.
`I’ve seen firsthand the services that have been provided in my classroom,` said Slingerlands Elementary teacher Colleen Sieme. `We all know early intervention is important.
Levay said this work will still be done, and because of certification issues COTAs did have to be supervised, creating staffing issues.
`It’s not the perfect solution, but it’s the solution I think we’ve come up with,` Levay said.
The district is making the tentative budget cuts in hopes of lessening the impact of the year-to-year budget gap. If the district were to maintain the same program as offered this year, the increase in expenses and decrease in revenues (including a proposed $2.5 million reduction in state aid to the district) would present officials with a gap of almost $4 million. Taxpayers would face a 7 percent tax levy hike if the 2010-11 budget were not cut back.
Officials spoke Wednesday of the difficulty of approving such cuts.
`None of this is easy, from the administration’s standpoint or the school board’s standpoint,` Board of Education President James Dering said. `We’re trying to find the best that we can do with the money we’re going to have.`
Other items
The district is continuing to examine facility usage fees, and took a look at a tentative fee schedule that would see slight fee increases across the board for facility use by community groups.
At the previous week’s budget workshop, the board had examined a proposal to close the Middle School pool to save on maintenance and energy use. Several members of the Delmar Dolfin Swim Team said they’d rather pay higher fees than no longer have the pool available for use.
The tentative fee schedule has the pool rental fees jumping from $15 to $50 per hour, the largest increase out of all facilities. The board will revisit the fee structure on March 24.
The next board meeting will be Wednesday, March 17, when the K-12 instructional program and athletics will be among the items of discussion. 14 teaching positions are among the cuts administrators will put forward. That meeting will be held at the High School in anticipation of high attendance.
The Board of Education is scheduled to adopt a budget the following week, on March 24, or on March 31 if they cannot reach a consensus at that meeting. The public votes on the budget May 18.
The public will also vote on a separate $1.4 million bus replacement referendum, the cost of which is not included in the budget. If approved, the cost would be bonded over five years.
The referendum, approved Wednesday night, includes 15 vehicles`11 large buses, four medium ones, and would equate to zero growth in the Transportation Department’s fleet.
The referendum is $200,000 higher than last year’s, even though fewer vehicles are included. The cost of steel and new EPA emission standards are driving up the price of vehicles, said district CFO Judith Kehoe, who added deferring the purchase of new buses can result in hidden maintenance costs.
`The newer buses are easier to maintain,` she said.
Two Board of Education seats will also be up. Lisa Allendorph has announced she will not seek another 3-year term. Diane Giacone Stever’s term is also up. Petitions are due by April 19 with 73 signatures.
It is possible the Board of Education will also put to vote a referendum to increase the walking distance from the high and middle schools from one half mile to a greater distance. They will be receiving more information on the impact and potential cost savings from the Transportation Department at their next budget workshop.
There is no walking distance for elementary schools; all students are offered bus service.
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