Warwick Valley School Board facing ‘tough choices’
By Abby Wolf
WARWICK — As it seeks to maintain cherished educational programs without going over New York State’s tax levy limit, the Warwick Valley School Board finds itself staring down some hard choices in yet another difficult budget season.
Once again, Assistant Superintendent for Business Timothy Holmes presented the school board with some inconvenient truths at Monday night’s regular monthly meeting.
Holmes reviewed district budgets since 2010, ranging from $78,559,350, through the one proposed for 2014–15, at $85,862,405.
He showed Warwick school budgets growing by an average of 1.38 percent a year since 2010–11, despite increases in unfunded mandates and declines in state aid.
Annual hole in budget
Warwick schools have lost a total of $16.6 million in state aid from Albany since 2009–10 as a result of the Gap Elimination Adjustment. GEA was initially meant to be a one-year fix under then Gov. David Patterson, as Albany struggled to balance the New York state budget; instead, the GEA has taken away state aid to schools each year.
“Due to significant revenue shortfalls due to the GEA, we continue to make difficult decisions, whether closing a school (as in the past three years, first with Pine Island, and then Kings Elementary last year), or reducing programs,” said Dr. David Leach, assistant superintendent for curriculum & instructional services, and incoming superintendent of schools when Dr. Ray Bryant retires at the end of June.
Sixty-nine percent of the proposed budget comes from $57,668,578 in taxes.
State aid represents the next largest source of revenue, or $22,525,112.
The remainder, at 2 percent each, comes from the district’s appropriated fund balance of $2.2 million and about $1.6 million in non-tax revenue sources.
According to last year’s community survey of more than 1,000 respondents, a majority (nearly 50 per cent) said that their top priority is “to preserve programs and opportunities for students to the greatest extent possible.”
"Essential" to the survey respondents were attracting and retaining high-quality teachers; honors and AP courses; small class size; full-day kindergarten; the latest technology; STEM courses (science, technology, engineering and math); college-credit courses at the high school; band and strings.
Controlling costs
Some of the ways the district has tried to control its costs have included:
Co-operative purchasing.
Teacher contract renegotiation.
Refinancing its debt.
Changing from a three-tier to a two-tier busing system.
Re-districting.
Increased walking distances.
Reducing staff by 84 positions.
Closing Pine Island and then Kings Elementary schools.
Accepting tuition-paying students from Greenwood Lake.
Proposed staff and administrative reductions
Eliminating the directors of technology and instructional services would save the district $398,699; doing away with a secretary and a part-time time mechanic would save about $85,0000.
Reducing the following 9 teaching positions through attrition – two elementary; one business; five at the middle school (including special education, music, art and physical education); and one high school special education, plus BOCES STEM reductions, BOCES ESL and another middle school music teacher – would save the district about $2.3 million, in terms of both salary and benefits.
Other ‘tough choices’
Holmes suggested making the following layoffs – though difficult – would potentially save the school district nearly $1.3 million: two elementary media center positions; two AIS (academic intervention services); two counselors; one high school science teacher;one foreign language teacher; two band and strings.
“What happens if we dip into the Fund Balance to bring back one AIS teacher?” Board member Bob Howe wondered.
Leach responded: “Some districts are living off their reserves; we don’t happen to be one of them … we’re getting some notoriety for that…. The fund balance should be used (only) for ‘rainy days.’”
Holmes offered another reason to preserve the fund balance: “We’re at zero fiscal stress,” according to state agencies, because the district hasn’t touched the fund balance.
In the meantime, some capital projects will be necessary in the near term. “Some roofs are leaking, some windows at the high school need replacing," he said.
“The fund balance is difficult to replace if you touch it," Holmes added. "It was at $3.2 million at the end of last year, and will be a lot less this year. We want to be very cautious with the fund balance.”
School board president Dave Eaton added: “Cuts next year will be worse. (The fund balance) is our only security…I’d be careful” about taking money out.
“AIS is there at the elementary level when students are not meeting grade level milestones, not meeting expectations on the state exam,” Leach said. "(Eventually, AIS) becomes a mandated service.”
A majority of 50 per cent plus 1 would be needed to pass a budget with a greater than 1.73 per cent increase.
If the budget doesn’t pass the first time, the school board must adopt the existing budget, with no increases.
Next
April 14, 7 p.m. Potential budget work session, Dorothy C. Wilson Center
April 21, 7 p.m. Special meeting for public hearing and budget adoption, Dorothy C. Wilson Center
May 12, 7 p.m. Budget hearing
Budget vote: May 20, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.