Newburgh School District Budget Meeting Thursday, February 18, 2010

This was the third budget meeting. It was held at the Library auditorium. There was an audience of about 40. Board Members Giudice and Resch were absent.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance Pacella began with a recap of last two meetings. Approved had been reduction of teacher aides, security monitors, and Buildings and Grounds personnel. Bubbled were reduction of monitors at TH and MH, guidance couselors, summer school, aides and 1st grade assistants. Not approved were reduction in librarians at TH and MH.

First recommendation Pacella brought up was to add a PT security monitor at MH.

Board Member McAfee: why pay for something we don't need? Suggest got too excited last time.

Pacella: It's just a recommendation, up to the Board Members. Original recommendation was MH (-1 FT, +2 PT), TH (-1 FT, +1 PT). Board: all Yes.

Next item for consideration was a reduction in the Summer School program. Elementary program won't be recommended for a $873k reduction. Only 5 Board Members present before, so revisiting.

McAfee: Strongly support the recommendations to reduce to onlly 9th grade and recovery components. She did Summer School fieldwork last year and thinks kids didn't have maturity and motivation to make it worth it.

Board Member Poppiti: Right now emphasis is on graduation rates. Will be reduced opportunity for those who had problems to graduate. Still opposes blanket elimination.

Board Member Bowles: Wish we could afford Summer School. I don't think we can affortd it.

Poppiti: Why decide now when not yet at the end line.

Pacella: Could consider putting back at a later time.

Board President Fucheck: Do we have data that shows effectiveness of Summer School?

Superintendent of Schools Saturnelli: Do have some data that supports. Don't have it with us tonight.

Assistant Superintendent of Student Intervention and Support Services Noriega: Students seemed to gain most at the K-2 level and in the 7-8 intensive literacy program according to studies.

[Attention shifted to another recommendation. Summer School would come up again later.]

Vote on recommendation: to eliminate two teaching assistant positions; Board: Yes.

Miscellaneous line item recommendations:
711k retirement insentive; St Francis lease 207K increase (3%); leased vehicle transfer of 46k; BOCES fee increase of $1m (to total over $8.5m to BOCES); drop in health insurance cost of $1.7m; increase in dental/vision costs of 608k [somehow selected by the Union]; telephone -650k; custodial subs -25k; NYSER -90k; assessments -260k; temporary seasonal -54k; teaching assistant subs -100k; teacher subs -50k; district wide equipment -250k; copier lease -45k; textbook replacements -100k, instructional earnings special ed -50k. The total of these resulted in a reduction of $2.13M. Board: all Yes.

Board Member DeMarco: would like to clarify dental/vision increase. "I'll call."

[back to summer school]
There were gains at pre-k to 2 and 7 to 8 grades. Assessed much better at the end. Most significant gains.

McAfee: It's very difficult for me to speak against literacy. Concerned about item #10 Universal pre-k. For me, more concerned that that be preserved.

Bowles: Think we need to focus on September to June.

Woodhull: Absolutely have to have Universal Pre-K.

Pacella: Not recommending that Pre-K be cut.

Vote to cut back summer school: Vessely, Woodhull, McAfee, Demarco, Bowles, Fucheck: Yes. Poppiti: No.

Recommendation to not fund the teachers center. Anticipate state cutting funding therefore the district doesn't have to fund. Savings of 203K. If program is funded by state, then the district is required to pay this.

McAfee: If not funded who will take over managing PD?

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Forgit: We work together to create PD opportunities. Partnership and balance with the Teachers Center.

DeMarco: Only three days of staff development next year. How many teachers participated in Teachers Center programs?

Forgit: Working with local higher ed institutions, lokoing at push in models to do in the classroom.

McAfee: If TC wasn't there, could two C&I people take that over.

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Bolton: Think that we can continue to offer the services and tie them to the district goals.

Fucheck: New teacher orientation, mentor program, might be difficult to continue to offer.

McAfee: So saying all of the coordination work would come over to C&I?

Fucheck: Don't think we can keep the same things offered, the same way, at same level by C&I.

McAfee: I have a problem with that. Don't think we'll be able to keep same excellent education. How can you guys possibly pick up all this work?

Pacella: There was a time before there was a TC and C&I used to to PD. No intent to move staffing over to C&I.

Saturnelli: Directors used to do what TC does now. This was a time when I was a director. We still pay for the Mentor Program. It is not part of the TC funding.

Pacella: Central office staff used to be able to take some of those PD courses, too.

McAfee: Torn because want to save money, but this might be short-sighted. Teachers require constant ongoing PD. See this as very definite step backwards.

DeMarco: TC has been an area of controversy. Chaired the TC for 5-6 years. Don't want to tie up C&I people with these tasks. Can it be fine tuned, yes. Has it been misused, yes. Sometimes teachers taking courses that they shouldn't.

Vote to accept recommendation: Woodhull, McAfee, Demarco, Bowles, Vessely, Fucheck: Yes. Poppiti: No.

Recommendation to eliminate full day Pre-K at Renwick and increase 1/2 day Pre-K at Washington St for a reduction in cost of $621.7k. More students would be able to enroll in the program, total could be 647 students.

Saturnelli: current full day program is a lottery process to enroll, because so many want it. Since there is this issue, cannot provide it for the most needy, so recommend to switch to all 1/2 day at this time. Funding is not there from the state. State funding for a full day student is equiv to what we get for 1/2 day.

DeMarco: what are hours for the program?

A: Full day 9-3, half day 9-11:30 and 12:30-3:00.

Saturnelli: Windsor Academy and others can provide more...

Poppiti: Washinton St with 11 classrooms can do 22 classes for 396. Repurposing Renwick. [didn't say what for]

Pacella: Senior staff still considering Renwick, Chestnut, St Francis, and Executive Drive leases.

Poppiti: this year had waiting list on full, but open slots for half day. We're in the process of taking 6th grade out of elemntary classrooms. [suggesting there might be space in elementary buildings?]

Pacella: with an approved budget it would be easier to acommodate all comers.

McAfee: can we compare the value of 1/2 day to full? Only had full for 3 years. Touted as direction.

Saturnelli: if went to all full day it would be very competitive. [i.e. fewer slots, more difficult to get child into the program]

Woodhull: other educators wish they had the full day. Most of kids here are behind educationally by age of 4. To make it a half day is absolutely wrong to do.

Poppiti: there are places which don't even have full day kindergarten.

Saturnelli: last year saw some impact of changed eligibility date.

Vote on recommendation to eliminate full day Pre-K at Renwick and increase 1/2 day at Washington St: Demarco, Poppiti, Bowles, Fucheck: Yes. McAfee, Vessely, Woodhull: No.

Pacella: state has given $2.8m for Pre-K for several years with no increase.

McAfee: full day better program.

Bowles: why not give full day to all?

[general aggreement that cannot afford]

Vote on recommendation to eliminate full day Pre-K: Demarco, Poppiti, Bowles, Fucheck: Yes. McAfee, Vessely, Woodhull: No.

Pacella: we can eliminate it from budget and if meet targets consider adding it back.

Recommendation to change Save room staffing at Meadow Hill and Temple Hill. The proposal was to have one K-6 room which would have a Save teacher, and one 7-8 room which would be staffed by an assistant and an additional teacher who would be assigned to the room as a duty. This recommendation could not be explained in a way the Board Members understood and no decision was made.

Next subject was retirees. 10 employees have retired and the recommendation is to not fill 5 of the positions: school monitor at NFA, SE teacher aide, attendance teacher, guidance counselor, admin position. Savings would be $479K.

Poppiti noted that five SE slots were currently filled by subs.

McAfee and DeMarco expressed concern about allocation of students to guidance counselors.

[There was some back and forth, eventually Board wanted to vote on each item individually.]

The admin, security monitor, and teacher aide positions were cut. The attendance and guidance counselor positions were not.

Pacella: getting closer, but way off. Depending on negotiations [i.e. union contract negotiations] may be very off the mark. Need to get to target within month.

McAfee suggested meeting more often.

Poppitti brought up timeframe needed to understand Special Education.

Forgit: a consultant is working on an analysis and is about 30% through process. Unrealistic to expect recommendation within a week. Could provide update but not a projection.

DeMarco: did we skip item J?

Pacella: yes, due to an elimination of some Title IV funding, recommendation is to not continue to purchase services of an Ocupations liason, for $64.5K cost reduction.

All voted yes, except DeMarco who voted no.

DeMarco: how much is in the fund balance?

Pacella: $7M.

Next meeting Tuesday March 2 at 5pm.