The Board budget workshop began at 5:10pm. Conference tables were set up in a U shape, and a spreadsheet was presented on a screen through most of the meeting. The main speakers during the meeting were Superintendent of Schools Saturnelli, Assistant Superintendent of Finance Pacella, and Newburgh Schools Board of Education President Fucheck. There were about a dozen people in the audience.

Saturnelli made some introductory remarks and said that budget meetings are anticipated to occur every two weeks.

Pacella referred the Board Members to packets containning building staff recomendations, last year's memos on process, proposed budget numbers and tax impact. He said that current retirees were not intended to be replaced unless required. Among the documents was a summary of possible NTA contract agreement impacts, and current workload and enrollment per class from the directors of Curriculum. Outreach is occurring for the NFA North reconfig but it is too early to establish enrollments for each school at the High School level.

Pacella presented a spreadsheet containing school by school staff counts, with columns for the "Principal's Recommendation", "Senior Staff Recommendation", and "BOE Recommendation". He began with West Street School. The most significant change there would be the adding of two teachers for a fifth grade classroom.

Board Member McAfee commented that she didn't know if the Board could make a recommendation at this time.

Saturnelli replied that she agreed it was difficult, but it was necessary to generate some kind of proposal in order to run the building.

Pacella commented that nothing was final until March.

McAfee commented that it is dangerous to assume that we will agree on this a month from now.

At Vails Gate the proposed changes were small, reduction of 1 social worker and .5 reading specialiast, addition of 1 bilingual teacher.

McAfee asked why would principal not agree to additional bilingual teacher.

Answer was that this seems like an oversite. Principals did not have a lot of time to review the materials being presented.

Saturnelli commented that the numbers will be impacted by how many move up in the bilingual program. Some students may test out which could lead to a combined class (more than one grade).

Board Member Bowles asked if social worker was reduced would the load be picked up by others.

Saturnelli answered that in some way that distribution would be worked out.

Pacella added that next time they intend to present social workers, guidance counselors, and psychologists, their rosters and workloads, and list of current vacant positions being filled by subs. "It's easier to stop calling in a sub than lay off someone."

Bowles asked if any were layed off last year.

Pacella said last year the district did not lay off any social workers or guidance counselors.

There was dicussion about comparing the workloads of these people to other districts, and understanding the need within the district. Some kind of analyses of need is being produced by a consultant and the work is be organized to help with the budget process.

New Windsor proposal contained a .5 reduction in Special Ed.

HOH proposal included an adjustment to grade level staffing (with no net effect), a reduction of 1 library media specialist and addition of 1 reading specialist.

McAfee registered concern about the Library staff reduction. She said she has already started to set up a committee of retired teachers and librarians to explain why school libraries need to be open to all and staffed by a librarian. To reduce staff would be a huge step backwards.

Pacella said that the principals were charged to come up with cuts that do not affect state required items.

Saturnelli commented that there is a mandate that AIS be provided for all level 1 and 2 students for grades 1 and two.

A consensus of the Board concluded that there should be no change.

At Garnertown no changes were proposed.

At GAMS the proposal was to add 1 typist, 1 school monitor, 1 lunch monitor, 1 reading specialast and drop 1 library aid, 1 library media specialist.

Bowles commented on uneven distribution of Music teachers across the district.

Board President Fucheck commented on uneven distribution of PE teachers at the Hill schools.

The Board recommendation was to not add a reading specialist but keep the library media specialist.

At Fostertown Senior Staff recommended one less third grade section. There was an expectiation that low binlingual enrollment would reduce a section.

At Balmville the Senior Staff recommendation was to add an academic specialist.

The Temple Hill proposal had a number of changes, and contained some difference between Principal and Senior Staff proposals that were errors. Senior Staff did not concur with a proposal by the Principal to add 1 Assistant Principal position.

Board Member Poppiti commented that the intention may have been to use the Assistant Principal position to somehow replace Save room. He also said to keep in mind that the year after next year they would be going 6 to 8 in the middle schools, Heritage and South.

At Meadow Hill the proposal included adding .5 school mionitor, 1 foreign language, dropping 1 Spanish, 1 special ed, and adjusting the grade level of a bilingual section.

Up to this point, all of the proposed changes in staff were relatively minor.

Heritage had significant proposed changes in staff because the enrollment there was expected to change from around 1000 to around 700. There will be no ninth grade at Heritage next year.

The Principal's recommendation resulted in a net loss of 13.7 positions. The Senior Staff recommendation for Heritage would result in a reduction of 20.7.

At South Junior a net reduction of 2.5 included droping 1 Save teacher, .5 Foreign Language, and .5 ESL.

The next budget meeting was scheduled for February 4 at 5pm.

Board member DeMarco commented on some large class sizes (30+) that he noted at Temple Hill.

Pacella gave a list of items for the next meeting: Social Workers, Guidance Conselors, Psychologists, updated retiree list, vacant budgeted positions, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Save Room, Lunch Monitors. For each he would have staffing numbers and workloads. Pacella also mentioned that the "Governor's number" for reduction in aid for next year was $4.6m.