Save New Paltz Schools

Friday, February 11, 2011

New Paltz Times - Growing pains New Paltz school board eyes cuts even under rosiest budget

February 10, 2011

New Paltz Central School District Superintendant Maria Rice unveiled her initial budget proposals for 2011-2012 last week. The next budget meeting will take place on Thursday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., at the high school.

With parents and taxpayers clamoring for cuts to administration, New Paltz Superintendent Maria Rice unveiled her initial budget proposals for 2011-2012 last week.

In some ways, it is a little bit better than the district had expected. State aid projections for next year are in and they show that New Paltz will stay the same or even get $250,000 more than expected. Up until earlier this month, the schools were budgeting based on their best guess.

“We just received the governor’s numbers,” Assistant Superintendent Richard Linden explained, adding that state aid was “a lot better than I was thinking a few weeks ago.”

Despite the little bit of good news, a few factors have pushed the administrators into a box. Health insurance costs and pension contributions have both gone up. With both those contributing factors, that equates to cuts.

The frustrating part about some of the items driving up costs for local taxpayers is the inability of the school board to do anything about it.

“We can’t solve the health care issue for New Paltz in New Paltz,” board President Don Kerr said. “We don’t have the power to fix the health care crisis.”

“Nobody here wants this,” the president added. “There’s a lot of good ideas from the standpoint of common sense that we can’t do.”

No matter which budget plan the Board of Education decides on, chances are it’ll mean that about 28 to 45 full-time equivalent jobs are cut. The budgets, ranging from $50.37 million to $49.3 million, all cut summer school, after school tutoring and academic intervention, and all will increase elementary school class sizes.

To fully understand what the school board is talking about during budget season, one needs to learn their jargon. The school board differentiates its budgets by the impact they will have on the tax levy. So the “5.25 percent budget” is one that equates to 5.25 percent more taxes being levied in 2011-2012 -- not a 5.25 percent budget-to-budget increase from what was spent this year.

The way job cuts are talked about is also a little misleading. The district tabulates layoffs as full-time equivalent positions, meaning cuts that sometimes end up looking like fractions of a person.

For instance, the 5.25 percent budget is $50.37 million and would represent a 3.15 percent budget-to-budget increase. Reductions in the 3.5 percent budget are pretty steep compared to the 5.25 percent counterpart, but they’re steeper still at a 2 percent budget.

The 2 percent budget weighs in at $49.3 million. It would cut 14.3 elementary jobs, 4.5 jobs from the middle school, 3.25 jobs from the high school, 5 jobs from the special education teaching ranks, and it would mean the elimination of JV sports and the temporary closure of either Duzine Elementary School or New Paltz Middle School. Consolidating would mean a further 7-10 jobs would get cut.

Public wants cuts to administration,

sports kept safe

Approximately 100 people came out to the Feb. 3 meeting. A majority of people who spoke felt a bit uneasy about the unevenness of the cuts, especially since they didn’t see much loss at the district office level.

“I didn’t see any cuts in administration,” said Ira Margolis, a New Paltz resident. “You’re cutting one janitor, but 23 teachers?”

Margolis urged the board to remember that any cut to teachers was one that directly degraded the quality of programs available for students.

New Paltz resident Kevin Barry asked the school board to consider asking JV coaches to think about taking no pay for their work leading the teams. Such a move might save JV sports if a 3.5 percent or 2 percent budget is adopted.

According to Superintendent Rice, the schools now spend about $48,000 on JV sports and that money goes toward paying the coaching staff.

Cheryl Murphy, of New Paltz, urged the board and superintendent to look at out-of-the-box solutions, including partnerships with the college.

“It terrifies me to think about what it could mean,” Murphy said. “I think if we put our heads together, we could come up with some really innovative solutions.”

A few parents asked why the school board would even consider closing Duzine when the middle school has such obvious problems. Right now, the middle school is facing at least $1.5 million worth of roof work, possibly more with a recent gutter failure.

Ruth Quinn, of Esopus, urged the school board not to close Duzine during a consolidation. With about 930 elementary kids stuffed into one building, it would likely have an adverse impact on kids -- especially kids with autism or autism-spectrum disorders.

“I would like to see more administrative cuts,” Quinn said. “I don’t want to see us degrade our school district and see us get to a place we can’t get back from.”

The school board looks to give

voters high-ball option

While the sentiment wasn’t 100 percent universal on the Board of Education, a majority of the board kept coming back to the idea of giving voters that 5.25 percent tax levy increase, or $50.37 million budget.

“We are special,” board Vice President KT Tobin-Flusser said of the New Paltz schools. With the quality of the New Paltz schools recognized on a national level, there is something to preserve in the schools now.

Tobin-Flusser said she’d like to see the 5.25 percent budget brought to the voters. Trustee Daniel Torres agreed, saying voters should get to see the higher figure, which would by default preserve more of the educational program.

Trustee Edgar Rodriguez didn’t like the idea of dismantling the well-oiled education machine New Paltz has running now. But when it came to consolidation, Rodriguez wanted to see a more decisive decision.

“I don’t think we can be talking about temporary cuts,” he said. “Our cuts have to be permanent.”

He added that he felt the board needed to confront the reality of the situation, where taxes are growing out of control, accept it and work toward change. “We need to engage the public.”

Board member Bob Rich said he didn’t know if he could get on board with any proposal just yet.

“We don’t really have the details yet,” Rich explained. “I’m really not sold yet on where I’m going to be.”

The school board trustee thanked the people who came out to the Feb. 3 meeting, and noted that New Paltz had an incredibly talented teaching staff.

“In looking at all these cuts, let’s not forget what we have,” he added.

Patrick Rausch again asked the superintendent to look for ways to negotiate with the unions for concession or a salary freeze. Employee salaries and benefits are easily the biggest part of the expenses the district has to pay.

“That’s the only place we’ve got to go. Other than that, you’re cutting,” Rausch said. If the teachers union, for instance, could agree to a pay freeze, it would preserve the jobs of their co-workers. “I really don’t like the idea of cutting all their jobs.”

To get a look at the full presentation, with more details about how the 5.25 percent, 3.5 percent and 2 percent budgets stack up with each other, head to www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us and look in the “Announcements” section.

New Paltz parents send superintendent their own budget proposal

So far the process to build the New Paltz school budget for 2011-2012 hasn’t been easy or pain-free. Budget talks have left the Board of Education and the administrators pondering whether or not they want to close either Duzine Elementary School or New Paltz Middle School as a temporary cost-saving measure. Anthony Aebi and Eric Schwartz, both from Esopus, created a blow-by-blow document showing the school district where it could potentially save $1.3 million next year. Specifically, the men ask the district to consider pay freezes for teachers, pay freezes for non-union employees -- including Superintendent Maria Rice -- laying off one of the assistant superintendents and shedding full-time office staffers helping that assistant superintendent.

“I have nothing against administration and clerical,” Schwartz explained, but he said he felt Superintendent Rice’s office could have been more creative in how cuts were doled out.

Administrators were left mostly unscathed in the draft budget proposals worked up by the district office. Even with a 5.25 percent tax levy increase -- or a $50.37 million budget -- 9.7 full-time equivalent positions would get the axe at the elementary level.

If the schools want to consolidate the schools, why not have a K-5 building with one principal. That would save about $100,000 in perpetuity for a principal’s salary alone. But the move would also cut out redundant staff members in a combined Duzine-Lenape.

On top of all that, the two men would like to see all the superintendents and principals take a cue from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and take a 5 percent pay cut until the economy recovers.

Aebi spoke up during the Feb. 3 meeting and asked the Board of Education why they were ignoring the budget proposal. Both Superintendent Rice and the school board denied that accusation.

“The board received that by e-mail,” board President Don Kerr told the men, adding that he’d printed off hard copies to give to the six other board members that evening as well.

Aebi’s and Schwartz’s e-mail almost went viral as it spread to local parents in the New Paltz School District. At least 20 to 30 people had seen it last week. The Feb. 3 meeting also featured an impressive number of parents and taxpayers -- nearly 100 people showed up, easily double the number of people at the Jan. 27 meeting.

The superintendent also said she’d gotten the men’s budget suggestions and said that her office was looking into it to see which of those suggestions might be possible.

One suggestion already stood out for her as one that couldn’t be changed -- the amounts of what goes into employee pension or what they make for salary. Those two items are entangled in a mix of both state regulations and contract negotiations, Rice said.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Report: School districts face $815M shortfall under tax cap

Cumulative gap would be $3.3B from 2010-11 to 2013-14, based on NYSSBA projections

School districts across New York face a potential shortfall of $815 million per year over the next four years just in meeting personnel costs under a property tax cap, according to a report issued today by the New York State School Boards Association.

The report, entitled Property Tax Cap: Pass or Fail for School Districts, illustrates how a tax cap of 2 percent or the rate of inflation – whichever is less – would limit property tax increases in school districts to an average of $229 million per year over the next four years. At the same time, school districts could have a projected average annual increase of more than $1 billion in salaries, health insurance, and employee pension contributions. That would leave school districts with an average shortfall of $815 million each year just in meeting these basic personnel costs.

“The long-term health of our state demands limitations on the growth of taxes and a sound educational system,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer. “But a hard tax cap would clearly threaten the quality of public education by forcing drastic cuts in classroom teachers and academic programs.”

Over the next four years, school districts would be forced to cope with a $3.3 billion cumulative shortfall between property tax revenue and personnel expenses, assuming no layoffs or personnel changes. In the 2010-11 school year, under a property tax cap school districts collectively would have been faced with an $894 million budget gap – the equivalent of 13,446 teaching and administrative positions, according to the report.

“While it is difficult to predict what specific measures 600-plus local school districts would take in response to a property tax cap, this analysis is meant to illustrate the cumulative, four-year impact of a tax cap on school district personnel costs,” said Kremer, who noted that personnel costs make up about 70 percent of a school district budget.

“The report shows the depth of cuts that would be needed in school districts under a tax cap. Had a cap been in place this year, school districts would have faced an immediate need to eliminate nearly $900 million in expenses or find alternative revenue sources,” said Kremer.

NYSSBA’s report highlights seven cost-saving alternatives to a property tax cap that could generate an equivalent cost savings for taxpayers. Those alternatives include establishing a mandatory minimum employee health insurance contribution, creating a defined contribution pension plan for school district employees, amending the Triborough Amendment of the Taylor Law, authorizing regional collective bargaining, and implementing a temporary freeze on public employee salaries.

“The answer to holding down property taxes is for the state to grant school districts the ability to rein in costs as well as provide sufficient state aid,” Kremer said.

The report analyzed data from local districts, the New York State Teachers' Retirement System, the New York State and Local Retirement System, the state Division of the Budget, the New York State Office of the Comptroller, and the State Education Department.

THR - Assessing the 'reality' of Cuomo's budget cuts

By Meghan Murphy

Published: 02/02/11

A group of residents sitting around a board-room table Monday agreed on a goal: prevent the closing of a Rondout Valley elementary school.

The parents, taxpayers and teachers want to create watchdog committees, drill down into the budget and help the district come up with another scenario. Faced with a $5.6 million budget gap and declining enrollment, the school board announced last month that a school closing is likely.

Meeting host and Pinegrove Ranch owner David O'Halloran has already started digging into the numbers. He thinks his business acumen might find some unexpected solutions. One budget item jumped out at him right away: Every year, the school district budgets $12,000 for music supplies. The number just seemed too neat to O'Halloran. He asks, do teachers really buy the same amount of sheet music every year?

That sentiment echoes one by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, blasted out to media inboxes everywhere Monday. The state's $10 billion projected budget gap is based on assumptions that all spending remains the same or continues increasing.

And these days, change is the only constant.

Fiscal policy experts for decades have called on governments to take a businesslike approach to budgeting. Cuomo was yelling from that same megaphone Tuesday, saying he's implementing a reality-based approach at the state level. He then announced a 7.3 percent state aid cut for school districts statewide. In Cuomo's "reality," that's only 2.9 percent of overall spending. In Rondout's "reality," it's a 10.3 percent cut in state aid, adding $1.9 million to its budget troubles, according to estimates posted on the state website.

Washingtonville Superintendent Robbie Greene said her district implemented zero-based budgeting about seven years ago and it's changed the way they deliver education.

"Everyone starts with a blank piece of paper. You don't take last year's supply total and add 3 percent on it," Greene said. "If I buy girls' soccer uniforms this year, I don't need those next year."

In an environment where every dollar is sacred and where school communities are at stake, this kind of budgeting is smart. But in what "reality" will accounting changes or cutting administrator salaries save $3.3 million lost to Washingtonville schools in the governor's proposed aid cuts?

Cuomo tried to paint a picture of all New Yorkers sharing the pain in this hard-line budget. But in what "reality" is a 13.3 percent state aid cut to Marlboro schools on an even keel with a 2 percent cut to municipal funding?

Cuomo also talked about unsustainable spending and a cycle of irresponsible budgeting. Maybe that's what going on in Albany, but that's just not the reality I've seen in our local school districts recently.

To his credit, Cuomo didn't say this was going to be easy. He has promised to relieve mandates that drive up education costs. But his speech also glossed over the truth of what he's proposing now: Cuomo's budget guts public education in the Hudson Valley, making it that much harder to save elementary schools. That's the reality.

The Aebi-Schwartz Proposal

HOW TO SAVE $2,000,000+ (or about 25 teachers) FOR 2011-2012.

(not including benefits or MS/HS teacher reductions)

Our understanding is that the anticipated deficit for 2011-2012 of at least $3.5M from the rollover budget is related to a decrease in federal and state funding, increases in benefits and other costs, and the possibility of a NYS cap of a 2% increase in property tax.

With viable consolidation plan(s) or not, the estimated savings from these plans are only a small part of the anticipated deficit, therefore, the bulk of cuts will unfortunately be from teachers and programs. This cannot go on year after year. If 30-40 teachers are cut this year, then looking ahead, there will be no teachers by say 2016.

Since the impact of increased class sizes on teachers and students is felt more than cuts to administrative staff, we recommend administrative staff downsizing. If certain personnel have served needed functions in more economically friendly times, a bare-bones administration is now required.

Cuts in administration can bring back programs and teachers in areas where reductions would be severely felt.

1. Non-Union Salary Freeze:

We commend the BOE and Superintendent Rice’s Non-Union Personnel Salary freeze for 2011-2012. This represents at least $20,000 savings (estimated at a modest 1.5% increase).

2. Administrative Reductions:

As per Mid-Hudson School Study Council statistics1 and New Paltz Central School District Enrollment Projection2 estimates, enrollment has been and will continue to decrease. However, as per Empire Center For New York State Policy3, teaching staff increased by more than 10%, and non-teaching professional staff by more than 20%. Administrators will have to do more with less staff.

Suggested Reductions:

Note all salary figures are approximate from 2010-2011 budget, and do not include benefits.

2.1) Eliminate 1 FTE - Asst. Superintendent for PPS – $110,000

The Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum (who makes $150,420) would cover PPS as well, with the 2-FTE Special Ed. Coordinators (who make $88,870 each) for K-5 and 6-12. If two Assistant Superintendents were required in the past, hopefully programs, policies and procedures have been implemented to allow fewer Assistant Superintendents now. In this financial crisis, we can no longer afford staffing at this level.

2.2) Eliminate 2 (of 4) FTE clerical staff for Asst. Superintendents of Curriculum and PPS – $80,000

2.3) Eliminate 1 (of 2) clerical FTE from Asst. Superintendent for Business staff - $50,000

2.4) Eliminate 1 (of 2) FTE office clerical – Duzine - $30,000

2.5) Eliminate 1 (of 2) FTE office clerical – Lenape - $35,000

2.6) Eliminate 1 (of 2) FTE office clerical or 1 FTE office aid – MS ($34,000 or $22,000 respectively)

2.6) Eliminate 2 (of 4) FTE office clerical – HS - $66,000

2.7) Eliminate 2 FTE library clerks – $41,000

2.8) Eliminate 2 FTE couriers – function replaced by other staff, better use of technology - $77,000

2.9) Eliminate 2 (of 3) FTE office clerical for guidance counselors - $70,000

Approximate Savings: $580,000 (not including benefits) – saves about 9 teachers.

3. Duzine/Lenape Consolidation:

If the Duzine/Lenape consolidation plan proves viable, we have some comments, suggestions, and questions-

3.1) Since all projections expect this fiscal crisis to continue for many years, there must be a way for consolidation plans to be permanent – not temporary. If the space if not adequate long-term, then the plan should not be implemented, or long-term solutions must be made.

3.2) The ‘school-in-school’ concept that the Superintendent is advocating – meaning not consolidating administrative staff for the combined elementary school - is not appropriate in this fiscal crisis. Nine hundred students with one principal and one assistant, and the teachers and support staff seems like a safe learning environment – (probably what most of us experienced if attended public school).

3.3) Eliminate 1 FTE - Principal for combined Duzine/Lenape - $110,000

The role of Principal at Duzine, is different from the Principal and Asst. Principal (Student Support Services A2110) at Lenape, based on the age of the children. With a combined elementary school, we feel one Principal and one Assistant Principal will allow for both leadership and handling student population.

3.4) Eliminate 1 (of 2) FTE - Nurse for combined Duzine/Lenape - $50,000

3.5) Eliminate any redundant positions in custodial, kitchen, music, art, gym, and library - ($??,???)

3.6) Although the details of the consolidation plan have not been specified, based on the estimates of increased class sizes as per Superintendent Rice at the January 27^th, 2011 BOE Meeting:

Grade	Current Class Size	2011-2012 Class Size
K – 2	19 – 21	22 - 24
3^rd	20 – 22	23 - 25
4^th – 6^th	22 – 24	25 - 28
7^th – 8^th	23 – 25	26 - 30

This class size increase represents 7 or 8 teacher reductions. Using the estimated cost per teacher of $80,000 (including benefits, from last year’s budget presentations), this represents at least $560,000.

3.7) We await details on how exactly Duzine fits into Lenape.

3.8) Where will BOCES go if not located in Lenape, but needs to be mainstreamed?

3.9) Why Duzine is not available for other uses, if shown to save money overall, i.e.:

3.9a) move rented District Offices on DuBois to Duzine

3.9b) move BOCES from Lenape to Duzine; mainstream via busing for PE, etc.

3.9c) use available space to alleviate issues with Duzine/Lenape consolidation, i.e. bus back to Duzine for certain programs.

3.9d) use Duzine as temporary space for alleviating issues with Middle School repairs/renovation

3.10) A unified class schedule permitting a single elementary busing schedule, means less mileage and wear on the buses.

3.10a) What are the expected savings from a single elementary bus run?

3.10b) Does this affect the requested $500,000 for new buses?

3.10c) Are there any details regarding the requested amount for the new buses, i.e. statistics on the age of bus fleet, maintenance cost, and reason for new buses?

3.10d) Can any needed buses be phased in over several years, i.e. one bus per year?

Approximate Savings: minimum $720,000+ from personnel, +one bus run, + operating one elementary campus

4. Teacher’s Union:

There seems to be general agreement that teacher salary and pension costs must be contained for school systems to be viable in the future.

4.1) Can you supply public (non-confidential) information regarding any negotiations with the teacher’s union in terms of salary increases? Pension?

4.2) Have increase caps been discussed regarding pension, benefits, salary?

4.3) Where does the Teacher’s Union stand on how to navigate this fiscal crisis?

Can the union representative give an official statement regarding their preferred option from the many bad ones?

4.4) Are efforts being made for planning several years ahead – for long-term solutions to pension and benefits increases? Is there a task force dedicated to this effort?

5. Misc.

5.1) The ‘four day student week’ was mentioned last year, and again this year, and Superintendent Rice mentioned at the January 27, 2011 BOE meeting that it was not a legal option for NYS. We think this option should be eliminated from discussions of alternatives, as it would simply put the logistical and monetary burden of the extra day without school on the parents.

6. Teacher Salary Freeze:

6.1) A teacher salary freeze will save approx. $700,000 (based on 2010-2011 increases) and keep at least 9 teachers. This should occur regardless of whether Governor Cuomo’s State Worker salary freeze happens.

7. Administrator Salary Cuts:

7.1) In keeping with Governor Cuomo’s own 5% salary cut (saving $8,950 from his $179,000 salary), we would like to see the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents, and Principals (all making more than $100,000) take a 5% salary cut. This would save approximately $65,000, which is another teacher saved.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sincerely,

Anthony Aebi, Esopus, NY – parent to 2^nd, 5^th, and 7^th graders.

Eric Schwartz, Esopus, NY – parent to 2^nd, and Kindergartener ‘2012.

1 2009-2010 Enrollment Report (Mid-Hudson School Study Council

http://www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us/15611010131096257/lib/15611010131096257/BUDGET2010/MHSSC-EnrollmentReportFor20092010.pdf

2 Enrollment Projection 2010-2019 (F.A.C.T.S.)

http://www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us/15611010131096257/lib/15611010131096257/BUDGET2010/EnrollmentProjection2010-2019.pdf

3 http://www.empirecenter.org/Documents/PDF/rb4.pdf

Glenn Geher's Letter to the Editor 2/3/11

After speaking with a highly respected and hard-working member of our School Board yesterday, I became convinced that we're currently at a point at which voicing public opinions on issues of the current budget circumstances is a good thing. For what it's worth, I write to provide my two cents. As I understand it, the current situation essentially is that the amount of monies provided by the state (NY) for school districts (and other institutions of education) is being cut immediately and dramatically - creating these giant budget holes all over the state.

Such a giant budget hole seems to characterize the current situation for the New Paltz Central School District - and the appropriate leaders in our community (including, largely, the superintendent and the school board) are exploring different courses of action that could be taken to fill in the hole. Coming up with a comprehensive list of alternative courses of action is their job. So we need to realize this fact before commenting too strongly on any proposals that are being kicked around.

This said, I'd like to make a pitch to take a particular potential strategy off the table. Apparently, there is talk about closing one of our four schools (Duzine, Lenape, Middle School, High School). For reasons I delineate below, I think the possibility of axing one of these four schools should be taken immediately off the table. Clearly, doing so would have the effect of constraining / reducing the options being discussed, which may make things more difficult or may help streamline the budget process. On this, I’m not sure.

Our district structures things in a pretty unique manner such that each of the four schools has a unique niche. Duzine is "the little kid" elementary school"; Lenape the "big kid elementary school"; and the middle school and high school each hold a standard niche in their areas. This is a pretty unique set-up, one that, according to the lion's share of parents and students, works extremely well - and this structure plays a fundamental role in defining the identity of what it means to be educated in the New Paltz Central School District. All the kids in the district go to school with all the same kids (issues of moving and attrition, aside) from ages of 5-18. This fact is pretty unique - and it makes for real small-town feel and makes the kids in the district know the other kids quite well - all along. I've seen strong benefits to the structure and think it's great. And I think this defines the educational experience at New Paltz.

Closing a school in a district structured in this manner simply makes no sense. There are other districts with, for instance, eight K-5 elementary schools. Perhaps that's too many given population issues. So they redistribute and reduce to seven of them. OK. No huge deal. The structure stays pretty much the same. Kids from the closed school get redistributed across the others. Logistics are not complex.

The logistical implications of closing one of the four schools in New Paltz would, on the other hand, be riddled with problems and would, I argue, fundamentally change the identity of our school system within the broader context. One option discussed was to close Duzine elementary school to the little kids - have the little kids from that school go to Lenape - shuffle grades around - and have middle school kids go to Duzine (thus closing the Middle School). This plan would include retrofitting Duzine to be appropriate for middle school - including the installation of lockers, shop equipment, etc. Compared with a district that would simply close one of their several K-5 schools and redistribute, you can quickly see that closing a school in New Paltz includes a whole set of logistical complexities that are not present in these other situations.

Because of the unique structure in our district, which includes these four niche buildings, I really think that the idea of closing a building is just beyond what's logistically feasible - and any plan that is poor on logistics will ultimately have adverse consequences for teaching and, ultimately, for our students.

For such a logistically complex plan to make sense, the fiscal benefits would have to outweigh the logistical costs. That is, if this plan would be such a pain, it had better pay a bucketload. From all the information I could gather, the monies reaped from such a school closure would be small relative to the full amount of the budget hole that needs filling. From my understanding of this situation, I am unconvinced that the fiscal benefits would outweigh the logistics and pedagogical costs.

Importantly, due to the logistical complexities involved in closing a school in our particular district, I don’t think that this becomes an issue of prioritizing bricks and mortar over other factors. In a school district with multiple K-5 schools, closing an elementary school could be primarily a call to not prioritize bricks and mortar over other factors. In New Paltz, because of our unique structural organization, there’s just too much more to it. In my mind, teachers comprise the single most important members of the workforce for our community and for the future. Preserving teachers’ jobs and respecting the institution of tenure clearly, in my mind, are also crucial. And preserving small class sizes is (ask any teacher – ever) critical to our future as well. In my job, I am a teacher, so these beliefs are self-evident to me.

I realize that there are major budget woes due to shortfalls in the state - and I'd personally be willing to increase our tax contributions if that's what needed (note: "willing" to ... not "wanting" to!). And I fully support the administration and board in their efforts to come up with effective solutions to the current problems. And I hope that at a future point I’m better able to make novel practical suggestions regarding these kinds of situations. But for the reasons delineated herein, I strongly believe that the idea of closing one of the four schools should simply be taken off the table (in much the same way that the idea of not honoring union contracts or releasing tenured teachers should be completely off the table).

Genuinely, and with the greatest of respect for members of our administration and school board who are investing enormous energy into exploring these issues on our behalf,

Glenn Geher

Cuomo's school aid plan shocks schools Too severe, local leaders say

By Meghan E. Murphy

Times Herald-Record

Published 02/03/11

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget proposal shows how disconnected the state is from the plight of school districts, shocked school officials said Wednesday.

Cuomo announced Tuesday he is seeking $1.5 billion in cuts to school aid for 2011-12, which would average a 7.3 percent hit statewide. Mid-Hudson leaders Wednesday reacted with hopelessness and frustration to what amounts to an almost $80 million cut to local schools, an average 11 percent decrease in the region.

"He's going to be responsible for setting back the education program in this state 10 years," Pine Bush schools Superintendent Philip Steinberg said. In the past two years, Pine Bush has lost almost $12 million, or about 27 percent, of its state school aid.

Cuomo said districts should negotiate employee concessions, such as wage freezes and higher health-care contributions, use fund balances and look at administrator salaries.

"This budget was to close a $10 billion deficit and we can't balance that without looking for reductions in a lot of different areas, and the biggest cost drivers are education and Medicaid. That's reality," said Eric Chris, a governor's budget office spokesman.

Steinberg said while Cuomo references runaway spending, districts have been cost-cutting for two years.

"We have already cut four administrators. We've cut in excess of 60 teachers and 80 teaching assistants and monitors," Steinberg said. "You're not talking about waste here."

Warwick school board President Dave Eaton agreed Cuomo's budget plan didn't seem to grasp the devastation this type of aid cut could cause.

"There's such a huge disconnect," Eaton said. "Everybody talks about how we have to make education so important in America, and here we are dismantling a really good school system."

Warwick already has created budget scenarios that presume closing an elementary school, and laying off between 50 and 70 employees. Cuomo's proposal would force even deeper cuts, Eaton said.

In Port Jervis, which escaped layoffs last year, district business administrator Lorrie Case expects the state aid cuts could cause up to 40 layoffs. "As far as I'm concerned it's really Draconian," Case said.

Offering some alternatives Cuomo might pursue, Steinberg called for mandate relief, a cap on district pension contributions and rolling back state special education requirements that go beyond federal requirements. Chris said that Cuomo is committed to changing the way the state does business and providing relief from burdensome laws.

mmurphy@th-record.com