Port Chester School Superintendent: Budget Plan Calls for Added Staff

To the Editor:

On May 21, 2013, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Port Chester Middle School, our community will vote on the 2013-14 school budget.  In recent weeks, I have met with our district PTA/O Presidents’ Council and parents at each of our schools. The purpose of this letter is to share with the wider community the points raised in these dialogues about the budget development process.

For several months, the Board of Education has engaged in an intensive and thoughtful examination of a proposed 2013-2014 budget. Throughout this process, as always, board trustees can review audit reports and the complete budget, and confer with colleagues and central office administration. They can also examine budgets from previous years, review enrollment and scheduling data, and have access to all the resources of the business official’s office. 

Based on this information and upon the recommendation and review of supporting data from district administration, the board determined that additional staff would be needed next year to both address issues associated with increasing enrollment and the community’s concerns about school security. Thus, the proposed budget provides for three additional teachers at the middle school to maintain current class sizes, one additional mathematics teacher at PCHS (250 students more students since 2004 with no additional staff), one additional ELL/Bilingual teacher at Edison School, and school security staff at each elementary school.

Throughout this process, board budget development discussion remained focused on how to remain below the tax levy cap in sensitivity to tax payers.

As representatives who understand the impact of program cuts on the community, each board trustee can identify and recommend specific non-mandated programs to be eliminated or reduced. Due to dwindling revenues, in the last six years many school programs have already been reduced or cut.  During each of the board public meetings about the school budget, there were no board member recommendations for specific program cuts or reductions.

To explain, non-mandated programs and services are those that are not required to be offered under state law.  They include raising class sizes (elementary maxed by the state at 27) and reducing nursing services. Others are school security, library services, music, art, drama and theatre productions, clubs, extra-curricular activities, the International Baccalaureate program, Advanced Placement courses, electives, athletics, field trips, and Kindergarten.

The board determined that it could maintain all current district programs while staying under the state calculated tax levy cap.  This was do-able because our legislators were able to obtain additional state aid this year, and all bargaining units made significant contributions to the 2013-14 budget through negotiated concessions. 

The tax levy cap affects Port Chester in a unique way. The tax levy represents 68.4% of district funding and our budget relies less on local taxes and more on state aid (20.3% of our budget) than those of our neighbors.  A 2.78% increase in the tax levy (a smaller number for PC) provides less revenue than does 2.78% in a district where 95% of the budget (a larger number) is funded by the local tax levy. Also, since state aid has not kept up with costs and we rely on it significantly, our revenue sources are constrained, our budget can’t grow to match costs, and our cost per pupil remains low compared to other Westchester districts.

Looking ahead to future budgets, Board President Jim Dreves, Trustee and PTA/O Presidents’ Council member Carolee Brakewood and I met with state Senator George Latimer and Assemblyman Steve Otis on April 25.  We discussed critical school issues and are collaborating to shift the budget conversation from cutting programs to both restoring lost programs and enriching existing educational opportunities. Such improvements can occur as the economy recovers, real estate values rebound, and legislators study districts like ours to determine the efficacy of the state’s funding formula to ensure revenue equity.  The session was recorded and you can watch it in its entirety on our district web site.

We have a wonderful school district that prepares our graduates well for success in higher education and the workplace. We look forward to the continuing successes of our community, legislators, and our board of education as they partner in supporting this important work. We encourage you to visit our school website for budget information and to read the budget edition of the Spotlight publication, which will be sent to homes. Please vote and let your voices be heard at the School Budget and Board Election on May 21, 2013, from 7 a.m. through 9 p.m. at Port Chester Middle School.

Dr. Edward Kliszus
Superintendent of Schools
Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District