WV School District offers public final look at budget before vote

By Abby Wolf
WARWICK — The Warwick Valley School Board offered the public one last look at its proposed $92.8 million budget for the 2018-19 school year at its regular monthly meeting on Monday before the vote to be held Tuesday, May 15.
In addition to the budget, voters will be asked to approve the district’s request for five new school buses – one 21-passenger wheelchair bus/van, one 29-passenger bus/van, and three 65-passenger propane-powered buses – as well as their assent to create a repair reserve fund.
Finally, the voting public will select candidates to fill three school board seats.
BudgetThe $92,819,749 budget is an increase of just under $2.7 million, or 3.0 percent, over the current year’s $90,116,888: a tax levy increase of 2.95 percent – just under the state levy cap for the district.
Schools Superintendent Dr. David Leach and the school board maintain that the current budget enables the district to preserve its academic program and smaller class sizes.
Two of the biggest drivers of the budget are BOCES, which Leach said is “significant,” and health insurance for staff. The cost of the latter, said Leach, had seen a 25 percent increase last year over the previous year. He added that, now that WV is part of a health consortium with other districts, this expense only rose 7 percent this year, and is anticipated to be even lower next year. Unfunded mandates, at about $16 million of the budget, make up another notable expense.
While the lion’s share of the funding for the budget comes from property taxes, the WV district also sees revenue from the rental of its two former elementary school buildings, as well as from tuition-paying students from out of the district. For example, of the high school’s 1,276 students, 160 come from Greenwood Lake. As of September 1, 2019, that tuition will be $11,000 per student.
In addition to additional Advanced Placement (AP) courses, the district will offer Mandarin Chinese in-classroom with a teacher: previously, it was offered only as a distance learning option by computer.
This course “will raise the level of pedagogy,” Leach said.
BusesThe new buses would replace five that have outlived their useful lifespans. According to Leach, the district will take $300,000 that it has in reserve for this purpose, financing the balance of $167,301.57. The district will receive almost 60 percent of the cost, or $263,558.09, in transportation aid from New York State.
Leach said that each year, a certain number of older buses – those around 10-15 years old, with higher mileage and repair costs – are phased out and replaced with new buses.
This annual replacement plan, Leach continued, “helps to maintain student safety, and control maintenance and repair costs…(It) has also helped the district establish an excellent safety record with the New York State Department of Transportation.”
Assistant Superintendent for Business Timothy Holmes said further that, “New vehicles carry lower maintenance costs during the first five years, when they’re still under warranty.”
Reserve fundThe district is also seeking voter approval to establish a special reserve fund for repairs that would be used to pay for fixing equipment and capital improvements that don’t repeat every year. For instance, according to Leach and Holmes, some of the boilers at the Kings Elementary building are over 50 years old, and will need to be replaced in the future. The proposed reserve creates a rainy day fund, allowing WV to save for this kind of large expenditure, as well as similar types of big-ticket, non-recurring repairs that may come up in other school buildings.
Voters will be asked to give the nod to fund this newly established reserve, with yearly contributions not more than $150,000, up to $750,000 maximum. Leach added that a public hearing would be required before spending funds from this reserve, except in emergencies.
SecurityIn the wake of the school shootings in Parkland, Florida, the district has heightened its security, including:
• Four full-time Warwick Police officers on staff (one in each school), plus seven security guards; two more security guards will be hired for evenings at the high school and middle school.
• Enhanced security camera system throughout the district.
• A secure, single point of entry at the high school will be completed by the beginning of the next school year.
• GPS equipment to be installed in all district vehicles, providing real-time location information.
Board of EducationCurrently, three seats are available on the school board: Board president, Lynn Lillian; vice president, Sharon Davis; and board member David Eaton all have terms that expire this year; all are running unopposed.
The vote is set for Tuesday, May 15, at the three district polling locations: Pine Island Firehouse; the Dorothy C. Wilson Education Center; and Kings Elementary. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
PrideLeach recapped the district’s highlights laid out in an insert mailed as part of the district’s budget newsletter.
The four-color flyer described various academic, athletic and extra-curricular offerings at the elementary, middle and high schools, and touts many of the school district’s features, including:
• Recognition as Green Ribbon schools for sustainability efforts;
• Recognition as Blue Ribbon elementary schools;
• High graduation rates;
• AP course offerings.
Other businessThe school board gave its blessing to the following school field trips:
• For the Odyssey of the Mind teams to travel to Iowa State University on May 22-27 for the 2018 World Finals.
• For the middle school to go to the Bronx Zoo on May 30 and June 6.
• For the middle school Wire Choir to go to New York City on June 3.
Public CommentDuring the public comment period, Joan Rapp-Dun, a district parent of a middle-schooler and a high-schooler and former director and choreographer of the drama club at Sanfordville, expressed her concern that – as she looked at the budget – extra-curricular activities such as Lego robotics, drama, music and arts seemed to get short shrift in comparison to athletics.
She said that she found it “disturbing as a parent” that while groups like Lego robotics and Drama Club needed to hold fund raisers, “sports get so much more,” wondering why $737,000 were allocated for athletics, while $227,311 was what was budgeted for the arts and robotics.
In an emailed statement from Leach: “The district offers over 60 co-curricular activities to students of all ages, including clubs run by volunteers. We find that students who participate in co-curricular activities have improved academic performance, time management skills, and a better overall sense of responsibility.
“Many of our athletes also participate in co-curricular activities,” he added. “Why are we comparing the athletics and co-curricular budget lines? Instead, let’s continue to listen to our students as their interests often drive the co-curricular activities offered.”