Announcement re March 2, 2010 budget forum

BURNT HILLS: Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school district residents are invited to attend a community forum on next year’s school budget at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, March 2, in the High School library, 88 Lakehill Road.

Superintendent Jim Schultz will present a summary of efforts underway to reduce 2010-11 expenses in light of the fact that the district stands to lose $1.6 million in state aid if the legislature approves Gov. Paterson's education aid proposals.

The forum is titled "Budget Perspectives: Diverse Points of View in Search of a New Balance for the BH-BL School Budget."

Online participation offered

Read all about Online access to the March 2 Forum here and view a RECORDING of the forum

Tuesday's budget forum will also be broadcast live over the internet as a virtual town hall meeting or "webinar." This means that interested persons can tune in and participate via their computer as long as they have high-speed internet access and speakers. (Important note: the software we are using for the online meeting sends us a copy of ALL THE COMMENTS people type in during the meeting. So participating from home is actually a very effective way of sharing your thoughts & concerns.)

Multiple reduction efforts underway

In an effort to reduce costs and save jobs in 2010-11, BH-BL has offered a retirement incentive to teachers and administrators and has asked its bargaining units for concessions.

School board members are actively lobbying legislators on behalf of the district and have formed a Legislative Task Force in hopes that many local residents will join them in seeking long term reforms and mandate relief from Albany.

"This is not a normal year," says Schultz. "Our residents -- and indeed the entire state -- are in more financial pain than we have seen in a long, long time."

He is pessimistic though that schools will see much restoration of aid in the 2010 state budget. "Even though BH-BL cut over $1 million dollars and 16.8 full-time equivalent positions in the current year's budget, Board of Education members and I know we are facing the need to make unprecedented staffing cuts in 2010-11."

List of possible staffing & program cuts

Board members have asked Schultz to give them a prioritized list of ways to cut district programs and services that will do the least damage to children's education.

The list of items he has created will be a focus of discussion at Tuesday's forum.

BH-BL is starting this discussion with a preliminary 2010-11 budget of $54.9 million, which is the amount that would be needed to carry all current programs and staffing forward by one year. This preliminary budget is 2.97 percent higher than the current budget of $53.3 million.

If the state Legislature ultimately approves Paterson's proposal to cut state aid to BH-BL by $1.6 million, the BH-BL tax levy would have to increase by an estimated 6.9 percent to balance the preliminary budget.

Schultz's list of potential budget reductions will include four tiers. Tier 1 involves 38 ways to cut the preliminary budget by a total of $1.1 million and get the estimated tax levy increase down to 3.4 percent. These are the potential reductions he would do first. They include the loss of teaching, administrative, and support staff positions, as well as reduced funds for supplies, equipment, furniture and summer projects.

Tier 2 includes seven more proposals to reduce costs by an additional $248,550, resulting in an estimated tax levy increase of 2.7 percent.

Tier 3 includes 12 more potential cuts designed to get the budget down to what would be a contingent budget. Based on current state rules for contingent budgets (which may change), Tier 3 reductions would result in a 2010-11 budget of $53.3 million. This is slightly less than the current year's budget, but, given the loss of state revenue, it would result in an estimated tax levy increase of 2 percent.

Altogether Tiers 1 through 3 include spending reductions of $1,607,062 that would touch every aspect of the school district and would result in the net loss of 28.7 staffing positions in full-time equivalents.

Board of Education members have also asked Schultz to calculate what program cuts would be needed to get BH-BL to a zero percent tax increase next year. This will become Tier 4 in his list and is currently under development. At the forum he will share potential areas to cut roughly another $600,000. "The level of reductions needed to accomplish this and get to a zero percent tax increase would have drastic impacts on our academic and athletic programs," he says.

Residents' opinions needed

Tuesday's forum will feature an explanation of all these proposals plus an opportunity for residents to share input on how low into the tiers list they feel the Board should go to create a 2010-11 budget that the voters can accept this coming May.

A third budget forum has been scheduled for March 25, by which time the school budget should be nearly complete.