One Step Closer to a Revised K-L Budget

Approximately 45 people attended yesterday's four hour budget meeting—which began with a review of the exit survey results, had a dinner break in the middle, and ended with the board leaning toward adopting the first of the district's modified budget proposals, a $109,287,029 spending plan representing a 1.37 increase over last year's budget and an overall tax rate increase of 1.87 percent.

Following Superintendent Robert Roelle's review of the exit survey results (too much work for results that weren't meaningful, he said) the board quickly dispensed with the notion of putting forth a contingency budget, and unanimously agreed to discuss putting together a revised budget to community.  

Dr. Robert Roelle, superintendent of schools, followed his presentation of option "A" which included $1.7 million in cuts, by a second alternative which added an additional $842,033 in further cuts, including the elimination of sixth grade world language, a secondary guidance counselor, teaching supervisors, and a reduction in elementary music and art.

Katonah-Lewisboro voters rejected the $111 million budget last Tuesday. The board of education is expected to adopt a revised budget Thursday for a community vote on June 15.

Roelle did not recommend the second proposal for a $108,444,996 budget reflecting a budget increase of .59 percent and a tax levy increase of .98 percent, noting the severe impact on programming.

By evening's end, the board agreed with him, focusing their discussions around the first option.

New controversial cut

Perhaps the most controversial line item in the district proposal was the elimination of the Chairperson for the Committee on Special Education for a savings of $106,467. While the district has a higher-than-average number of special education students, Roelle said, it also has more staffers devoted to special ed than in other districts.

Community members expressed concern about the ability of administrators to attend up to 1200 meetings per year, according to some estimates. "There are  450 children who require an average of three meetings a year" said former Special Education PTA chair Lorey Leddy. Current SEPTA President Lisa Papernik added that the litigation would increase without frequent meetings. "There will be more lawsuits—this is penny wise and pound foolish," she said.

District officials agreed to provide the board with more information on the issue prior to Thursday's decision making.

Class Sizes, Triple Tripping

An additional $515,000 was cut from the budget representing approximately 4.5 full time teachers, due to enrollment adjustments, said Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Alice Cronin.

Three sections of LES second graders are the largest, at 22, 23 and 24, respectively. All other elementary classes average 19-23 students. The previously troublesome number of incoming KES first graders—expected to be 71—failed to materialize; enrollment was projected to be 68, enabling the district to recommend three sections.

The district will monitor enrollments on a weekly basis, and while it's possible that an additional section may have to be added as late as August, anecdotal evidence suggests it's not likely, said Cronin.

In the proposal, $232,122 will be saved by implementing triple tripping. School bell times would be changed to the following: 9:15 a.m. and 3:40 p.m. for elementary students; 7:30 a.m. and 2:07 p.m. for middle school and 8:15 a.m. and 2:57 p.m. for high schoolers.

Board member Janet Harckham questioned the gap times and any financial impact of adding monitors to supervise students, but extra academic help sessions and going to the library made the issues surmountable, said Cronin.

Board members indicated tripple tripping would be included in the final proposal, noting that it had no impact on instruction.

"Administrative fat"

Discussed at length was the community perception of a top-heavy administration.

The district has moved from a centralized administrative approach to a building-centered approach, said Roelle, and with the elimination of academic coaches, staff developers and department heads, teacher supervisors, or TOSAs, are critical, he added.

"There's a sense that we have more administrators than any other school district—at best we are at midpoint," said Roelle. Schools need a principal and the TOSA support to oversee an average of 450 kids, 22 teachers, monitors, and clerical staff in each building, he added.

Cronin presented the myriad responsibilities of TOSAs, including managing the building while principals are conducting staff evaluations, which can only be done by licensed administrators, according to state law.

TOSAs also supervise arrival and dismissal, manage contact with parents, participate in child study teams, work with school monitors and manage state testing, according to Cronin. It was enough to convince board member Eve Hundt to keep TOSAs in the budget.

"I was prepared to recommend cutting them, but we need someone in charge of schools," said Hundt. "But I would like to challenge the administration to look at how we can cover testing, Project Save, emergencies and more routine things; let's  identify long term ways to work smarter."

The district plans to reduce an assisant principal at the middle school in next year's budget, but community members pushed to accelerate that plan for 2010-11. Roelle was reluctant to do so, noting that disciplinary matters can cause the top two administrators at the high school to be absent for up to days at a time, "making the management of  1,300 students difficult."

The district organizational chart is posted with this article.

Other community feedback centered around the politics of voting and the communication of information to voters.

"I support plan A—it shows the board and administration is trying to cut costs," said Nelson Salazar, KES parent. "But I think a vote should include information on what "no" is—we need that information." To that end, the district will create a rough plan of what the contingency budget cuts might look like. Mostly likely they would include previous proposals such as the elimination of eighth grade teaming.

Other reductions in the proposal being considered 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.

Before he had to leave the meeting early, board member Peter Treyz asked whether a proposition could be put on the ballot to use AP Farm Fields funds to offset the budget, and requested written documentation providing legal reasons not to pursue it.

"My personal feeling is that the budget should come in at a zero increase, that could be offset by the people, if they vote to move the money to offset the budget."

The board could vote, without involving the community, to say that the purpose of building the fields no longer exists, according to Michael Jumper, assistant superintendent for business. However, the money would first have to be used to pay debt service, then could offset the tax levy, he added.  
 
With the current level of district debt hovering around $7 million, the $3.1 million in fields funds would be swallowed immediately, noted Gordon.  
  
Treyz indicated that even if it was not possible to move the money he would still not vote for anything other than a zero increase.

At the meeting, Lipton recognized parent council president Dayna Kaplan for her  "herculean effort" in coordinating volunteers to administer the exit surveys, and presented her with a gift from the board.

The next meeting is Thursday at 7:45 p.m. at the John Jay High School library.