K-L Board Adopts Budget With 1.36% Increase

The Katonah Lewisboro Board of Education approved their 2010-11 budget last night, which totals $109,281,408 and represents a 1.36 budget-to-budget increase, shaving off an additional $1.75 million in cuts to the budget that failed at the polls on May 18.

The modified spending plan includes an overall tax levy increase of 1.86 percent, representing a tax rate increase of 7.45 percent in Bedford, 1.22 percent for Lewisboro, and .56 percent in Pound Ridge. The tax rate drops in North Salem by 2.75 percent.

The budget was adopted with a 6-1 vote—dissenter Peter Treyz stated at the outset of the three-and-a-half hour meeting that he would not support a budget with more than a zero percent increase.

The cuts came mainly from eliminating elementary school teacher positions and a teacher supervisor, adjusting bus schedules, and delaying some maintenance projects.

Class sizes

The biggest reduction was at the elementary level representing 4.5 full time teachers at a savings of  $515,000. , none were at the higher numbers estimated in the beginning of the budget season.

At Increase Miller, class sizes will average 19 or 20, except in the fourth grade, which could be at 24 or 25 students. Katonah Elementary classes will range from 19-22, with the first grade section likely capping at 23. At Lewisboro, the first grade sections are smallest, at 18 students, while other classes average in size from 19-23. And at Meadow Pond, sizes range from 18 in the third grade, to 25 in the fifth grade.

Cronin said it was unusual for the numbers to creep up in the summer, and more likely that any change would be a decrease.

Administrative decisions

The board went against the district's proposal to eliminate a special education chair, and instead asked the administration to eliminate a teacher supervisor. Which school the cut would come from was left to Roelle.

The board was not in agreement on this; President Mike Gordon wanted to go with the district's recommendation, noting that they chose to hire a qualified director at a higher salary who could "rise to the challenge" of her reduced staff.

Roelle again defended his recommendation. While the number of students identified with special needs in the district is more than the state average, he said, proportionate to enrollment, Katonah Lewisboro actually has a higher level of staff support. The reduction would still meet legal mandates and not negatively impact upon children, he said.

Parents resisted. Meadow Pond parent Lorey Leddy cited the need for staff to share the burden of hundreds of mandated meetings, argued that Director Phyllis McGill could find creative ways to streamline the department, going into her second year on the job. "You need to take a scalpel, not a machete—give her another year, and the resources she needs to make the savings," she said.

Mark Lipton suggested removing all of the TOSAs from the elementary schools, as well as a middle school assistant principal, to then return two administrative positions at the district's discretion. Roelle "respectfully disagreed," and said that the board was essentially throwing out three years of work toward building autonomy in schools.

Board member Warren Schloat supported Roelle, noting that "decentralization has been our plan. We approved it, and it's poor management—bordering on irresponsible—to overrule our CEO about what works. I think it's risky and a poor decision."

Gordon didn't see it that way. "We are not substituting our judgement for theirs. We are economizing and making uncomfortable decisions in tough times," he said.

In the end, the board voted to retain the special ed chair, and asked the administration to cut one administrative position.

Modified bus routes

Triple tripping was also included, at a district savings of $232,122, despite community objections to less instructional time in the middle and high school day, and board member concerns about managing the student pickups at elementary schools, which are likely to increase given a later elementary dismissal.

The plan reduced ten buses from the rotation, and eliminates six school bus driver positions.

Middle schoolers will start their day 15 minutes earlier, at 7:30 a.m., with a 2:07 p.m. dismissal. Pick-up times will remain the same, according to Director of Transportation Jim Minihan, due to the change in ridership—no high schoolers at that hour—and route reconfiguration.

High school students will arrive 30 minutes later than they do now, at 8:15 a.m.; dismissal will be at 2:57 p.m. The elementary bell shifts to 9:15 a.m. and 3:40 p.m.

Assistant Superintendent for Insruction Alice Cronin said the later pickup would present challenges in elementary schools but they would ask teachers and staff to assist.

Minihan also anticipated saving 7,300 gallons of fuel with the elimination of ten buses and fewer hours spent idling in pickup lines. The board will also look to reduce the number of drivers mandated in the support staff contract, currently set at 66, to realize additional savings next year.

Other reductions in the proposal include a $40,000 reduction in legal fees; $140,000 in savings representing deferred maintenance on a roof at Katonah Elementary School; $22,360 in operations and maintenance costs and $276,958 in staff salaries. Additional savings to retirement and leave pay estimates were also factored in.

The community vote on the budget is June 15.

Editor's Note: Updated elementary enrollment figures were presented at the June 3 budget hearing and this story includes the new numbers.