South Colonie schools to eliminate 40 positions

COLONIE — The South Colonie School District is looking to eliminate 40 full time positions to close a projected $3.2 million gap in the 2020-21 budget.

The district is proposing to save $1.4 million through attrition, $479,000 by not filling temporary or part time positions and $679,922 by laying off the equivalent of 10 full time employees, including four fulltime teachers and a part time art teacher.

In all, the district is looking to not fill or eliminate the equivalent of 15 full time teachers and three part time teachers. According to the budget presented to the Board of Education on Tuesday, April 14, 83 percent of the annual spending plan is allocated for personnel costs.

It is also looking to cut $606,000 from things like equipment, supplies, overtime and by restructuring special education, with another $289,629 cut from BOCES and outside placement.

“We did a hiring freeze going back to January. We are not filling positions vacant due to retirement or resignations so there are a number we can reach through attrition. We looked at all items that deal with non-instructional support. But, unfortunately there will be layoffs,” said Superintendent David Perry. “Our goal is to provide quality programs to our student while at the same time be fiscally responsible to our community.”

The $106.8 million proposed budget will increase spending by $1.9 million, or 1.8 percent. It carries a tax levy increase of 2.92, a whisker under the state imposed tax cap or 2.97.

The budget as proposed would increase taxes for the owner of a home valued at $175,000 by about $87 next year, the owner of a home worth $200,000 would see taxes increase by about $99 and the owner of a home valued at $225,000 would see taxes increase by about $112.

Part of the budget crunch is because of state aid is being held, at best, flat with the possibility of cuts, called a “pandemic adjustment,” as the year progresses. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in an unprecedented response to the budget crush caused, in part, by the pandemic, said the state will re-open the budget on a quarterly basis and make adjustments accordingly.

In the preliminary state budget, presented in January, South Colonie was expected to get a 1.43 percent increase, or $234,250, in foundation aid. Foundation aid is eliminated completely this year. When all state aid is calculated, in 2019-19 South Colonie got $23.5 million in state aid, which increased by $1.2 million this year. This year it is flat.

Education aid is always a point of contention as the state passes its budget. Generally, the governor proposes slight increases in aid for education in his annual budget proposal and the Legislature increases it before the budget is passed. This year, the state was facing a $6 billion deficit prior to the pandemic, and Cuomo said it will now be upwards towards $15 billion.

“The rising costs of running quality educational programs for all students, coupled with the uncertain fiscal condition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has certainly made creating a balanced budget more difficult,” Perry said in a statement. “Not only do districts need to navigate this challenging landscape, but they must also make some very difficult decisions while bracing for potential mid-year cuts and other reductions.”

Aspects of education in South Colonie that will continue to be funded, at least for the time being, include maintaining elementary class sizes of about 20 students, full-day kindergarten, music programs, foreign language programs, academic extracurricular clubs and athletics.

Because of the pandemic, the budget vote was pushed back from May 19 to at least June 1.

Positions that will be eliminated under the proposal are:

Attrition ($1,390,099)