Tax increase below 2 percent; state aid restores OPAL and late buses
The Scotia-Glenville Board of Education’s decision last week to wait and see if more state aid would trickle in before adopting the 2011-12 budget proved to be a good move. An additional $400,000 from the state restored some of the district’s proposed cuts.
The budget totals $47.08 million and will result in a tax rate increase of 1.86 percent. For each $1,000 in assessed value there is an estimated tax increase of 37 cents. For an average Glenville home assessed at $160,000, the tax increase would result in an additional $59.45 per year. Spending also decreases by $248,246 in the approved budget compared to the previous year.
As painful as it was, we are in much better shape than many of our neighboring schools. That is not to minimize how hard the board has worked and how hard my team has worked, said Superintendent Susan Swartz. `I would attribute it to a long history of conservative budgeting.`
BOE President Pamela Carbone credited Swartz with `thinking outside of the box` and coming up with alternative ways to save money and still be able to do the needed things.
During the previous meeting, after the public hearing on the budget, board members reinstated the purposed cuts to the 1-2-3 Success Program, funding to the sixth grade exploratory foreign language program and summer school for sixth to 12th grade students.
After realizing additional state aid, the board followed through on their vow to restore one OPAL teacher for one year, which is a program to help gifted students. The agreement for the restoration was also pending a reorganization of the program. The restored teacher will work with students in kindergarten to second grade, and a library media specialist will work with grades three to five for the upcoming school year. The board’s plan is to have a similar program run by the library media specialists.
Late buses for middle school and high school students will also be restored, but on a less frequent schedule from the current four days per week. Swartz said she believes she can find savings in the transportation budget around $20,000 to help with the restoration.
The additional state aid will also help offset last year’s one-time revenue source from the Education and Jobs bill totaling $810,000. Out of the $400,000 funding boost, the board was willing to take $100,000 for the newly restored items and to help defer costs. The positions eliminated in the budget include two administrator positions, which will replace the two leaving principals; one teacher position and one float nurse position.
`Next year could be a huge challenge, not just for us, but certainly more of a struggle than we faced this year,` said Swartz. `For the last two years, the state has taken money back mid-year. As much as I want to believe the money is there and solid, history has taught me that’s not a good strategy. The board and I believe we have to budget conservatively. We really are trying to position ourselves well for the next year.`
Reorganization of the administrative staff is still being fine-tuned, and by the end of the week, Swartz said there probably will be something on the district’s website about the changes. Those position changes will be in effect for only the upcoming year.
`I think everyone has been surprisingly accepting of the financial realities that we are in, and I think if you look at the budget that we adopted for hopeful approval, we have reduced spending,` said BOE Vice President John Yagielski. `I hope people who would have supported a higher amount also recognize that we heard from our neighbors about what they can and can’t support as well, so we tried to take that into consideration.`
Taxpayers vote on the district’s 2011-12 budget on Tuesday, May 17, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the high school gym. In addition to voting on the budget, three Board of Education seats will be decided.
Benjamin Conlon announced at the meeting he would not be seeking another term on the board unless nobody files a petition for the seat by next Wednesday, April 13. The deadline for filling a petition to run for the board is the following Wednesday, April 20.
Conlon works full-time for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and is an adjunction construction worker for Schenectady County Community College.
`I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t do it, but if nobody else steps up I will stay on,` said Conlon. `I’m sort of hopeful because last year we had five people running for seats.`
At the end of Conlon’s current term, he will have sat on the board for three terms totaling nine years. The positive feedback he’s gotten from the community is making it difficult to leave.
`It is tough to step down, it really is,` said Conlon. `People are always saying to me we really appreciate everything you do, and we’re really happy you’re on the board. People, I think, in this community really respect this board.`
Carbone and board member Leslie Smith confirmed they’d be seeking reelection. Petitions are available in the business office of the district and 49 signatures must be collected from district community members. For more information on the election process visit the district’s website at www.ScotiaGlenvilleSchools.org.“
