Members of the Broadalbin-Perth Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a $29,002,495 budget proposal for the 2010-11 school year. The proposed budget calls for a 3.98 percent spending increase over the 2009-10 budget and maintains many of the programs that were under consideration for elimination, including all interscholastic athletics and college-level courses.
The budget proposal adopted by the board calls for the elimination of seven staff positions – all as a result of retirements – and, if approved by voters on May 18, would not result in any layoffs. The district would not rehire for the eliminated positions, which include three elementary classroom teachers, a high school music teacher, one teaching assistant and two bus drivers.
The implications of the proposed staff reductions include:
- Elementary class sizes in three grades that will exceed 27 students per classroom;
- A restructuring of the district’s music program that will result in less music instruction at The Learning Community and a combining of the chorus programs at the intermediate school and high school;
- A reduction in Academic Intervention Services (AIS) at The Learning Community because of the elimination of the full-time teaching assistant; and
- More students on buses as a result of combining and restructuring several bus routes as well as removing door-to-door pick-up and drop-off and instituting centralized bus stops in the Village of Broadalbin.
Tax levy and the state budget
Board members were reluctant to talk about tax levy implications related to the proposed budget because New York State has yet to pass its 2010-11 budget. Broadalbin-Perth relies heavily on aid from the state. In his executive budget proposal, Gov. David Paterson called for a 5 percent across-the-board cut to education funding, including a loss of up to $1.744 million in foundation aid for Broadalbin-Perth.
If the governor’s proposed cuts are accepted by the state Legislature, Broadalbin-Perth’s proposed school budget would increase the local tax levy by 9-14 percent to a total of $11,905,622 in 2010-11. Superintendent Stephen Tomlinson emphasized that a 14 percent tax levy increase is “an absolute worst-case scenario.” For the typical district taxpayer, who paid $920.69 in 2009-10 school taxes, this would translate to around an additional $12 a month in 2010-11 school taxes. However, if the final state budget restores some or all aid to schools, the local school tax levy would be significantly less – “likely in the single digits,” according to Tomlinson.
Responding to community feedback
Board members considered four different versions of the working budget during Monday’s meeting, including two versions that completely eliminated the district’s athletics program and one that also eliminated all college-level courses at the high school. During their deliberations, board members repeatedly referenced the feedback they received from the community throughout the year via online surveys and a series of six Community Roundtable conversations.
“When we talked about athletics during the February roundtable, I heard the people say unanimously that it was more important to them that we save athletics and clubs than to save teachers,” said board member Ed Szumowski. “For that matter, at all of the roundtables I heard most people tell us, ‘Don’t cut anything.’”
After board members discussed budget options but before they voted to adopt a budget proposal, board President Wendy Perry opened the floor to the approximately 100 residents in attendance.
Several parents expressed their disappointment with the cuts contained in the budget proposals the board had been considering and requested a spending plan that called for fewer cuts as an option.
“I’m heartbroken. I’m not going to sleep tonight after this meeting,” said Lisa Zarecki, a mother of three children. “What my daughter had when she graduated in 2007 just isn’t offered in the school today. My son is supposed to be a freshman here next year, but I don’t know if he’ll walk through these doors in September. I moved here for this school 10 years ago, and now I’m thinking about moving out.”
Board member Joe Renaud echoed Zarecki’s sentiments. “Who would choose to move to a school district with no athletics, no upper-level classes, no music, etc? If we cut those programs, the young people in this community will vote with their feet.”
B-P at “a critical breaking point”
According to Tomlinson, Broadalbin-Perth is reaching “a critical breaking point” in terms of the programs it offers to students.
“We’re dangerously close to not being able to offer our high school students enough electives for them to fulfill the Board of Education’s graduation requirements,” he said. “And if we have to adopt a contingency budget this year, we’ll be left with no choice but to eliminate our athletics program.”
The situation Broadalbin-Perth faces is a direct result of decreasing state aid, declining revenues and rising costs for contractual obligations such as employee health insurance and retirement benefits. While the state budget negotiations play out in Albany, school district leaders are assuming a worst-case scenario regarding state aid – and trying to delay the day Broadalbin-Perth reaches the “critical breaking point.”
“The state has failed us,” said board member Paul Chizek prior to the board adopting the proposed budget. “We can’t fail our children.”