School Budget Discussions Continue By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese The Garden City Board of Education and residents scrutinized the non-instructional components of the 2009/2010 budget at a budget work session on February 10.

State law requires the school budget to be divided into three parts: administrative, program/instruction and capital. Garden City's proposed budget allots 73.4 percent to program/instruction, 15.04 percent to capital needs and 11.56 percent to administration.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen's proposed budget is $95,340,587, which is .88 percent higher than last year. The projected tax levy increase (with STAR) is 2.48 percent.

Dr. Feirsen emphasized that the budget is still a work in progress. The tax levy increase in particular is expected to change since the amount of state aid the district will receive has yet to be determined.

The district has been able to keep costs down by instituting strong controls on overtime, utilizing more efficient payroll processes, expanding the use of cooperative bids, automating the district's attendance system and tracking of receivables in the district's business office, reducing print advertising for staff recruitment and adopting more environmentally friendly initiatives to reduce energy consumption. The district's proposed budget includes use of worker's compensation reserves to help alleviate taxpayer burden.

Fino Celano, assistant superintendent for personnel, said the district has cut advertising costs for staff recruitment by using a BOCES-sponsored online application service familiar to those seeking positions in the educational field. The district has also been able to take advantage of special 2-for-1 advertising specials being offered by newspapers such as The New York Times. Placing one help wanted ad in the Times normally costs $10,000 to $15,000.

The administrative budget includes the Board of Education, central administration, school community relations, plant operation and maintenance, central data processing and special items such as insurance and BOCES administrative charges. Central administration includes the offices of the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Assistant Superintendent for Business & Finance and the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel.

The district's cost for employee benefits, which comprise a substantial part of the administrative budget, are actually expected to decrease by 3.13 percent next year to total $19,680,765. The district cost for health insurance is expected to rise by only 1.4 percent. Albert Chase, assistant superintendent for business and finance, said this is unusual, but predicted health insurance costs to jump as high as 10 percent next year based on trends he has studied in annual health insurance cost increases.

Employee retirement benefits fall under two programs: the Teachers' Retirement System and the Employee Retirement System. The district is fully accrued in both programs. Employee benefits also include social security, pension, health and dental insurance, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and compensated absences (teachers who are retiring are compensated financially for unused sick days.)

Under debt service, the district is projected to carry $3,973,700 in debt, which is comprised of interest payments on tax anticipation notes and principal and interest payments on outstanding bond issuances. This is a slight increase from last year of .38 percent.

The capital portion of the budget totals $14,337,196, or 11.56 percent of the overall budget. Realizing the $20 million proposed bond referendum will need to be voted on by the public, and will likely be a very tough sell given the economy, administrators met with the architect from the firm Burton, Behrendt and Smith to determine what smaller-scale projects could be included in the annual capital budget as opposed to a bond initiative. The district was able to reduce the recommendations of the ad hoc Committee on Facilities by $837,000.

Major projects in the next year at the high school include the upgrading and ventilation in the science wing, fitness center and 1966 addition. Measures need to be taken to correct a water seepage problem on the building's Rockaway Avenue side. At the middle school, projects include installing one bathroom on each floor that is fully compliant with the American with Disabilities Act, installing kitchen hoods and ventilation system in the cafeteria work area and installing a high jump pit.

The lower schools will also get much-needed repairs. At Stratford School, the ceiling of a room in the basement once used for coal storage will be reinforced and a new clock/bell system will be installed. At Hemlock, Homestead and Locust Schools, the fire alarm system will be upgraded to add enhancements, including ADA accessibility.

If the budget is passed, the final phase of the disaster recovery plan for business continuity will be implemented and the floors and sidewalks replacements at all buildings will be continued. The district-wide, off-site disaster recovery system is needed to ensure business continuity in case the district's software and hardware is destroyed.

Under transportation, Dr. Feirsen stressed that it is important to stay on target with the scheduled replacement of school buses and other vehicles to replace an aging fleet. The 2009/2010 budget includes $425,975 for the purchase of three new 66-passenger buses and a service car. The district is participating in a transportation consortium with other districts to help bring down costs. After school trips are combined whenever possible.

Field trips are also being reduced by 10 to 15 percent. This year 385 field trips have been scheduled. The district hopes to one day be able to have the technology to provide students with virtual field trips that will enable them to see places in other parts of the world and country.

Dr. Feirsen presented some interesting transportation facts: 3,380 students are transported to district schools and 579 students are transported to other schools. The district transports students to 16 schools outside the district and private contractors transport to 26 other schools.

Garden City resident Rick Menelly said the Board should suspend any further consideration of a bond given the current state of the economy and his wife Denise asked if they were considering any alternatives if the bond does not pass.

Dr. Feirsen cited several major projects that can be only funded through a bond. The high school roof needs to be replaced, and there are heating, ventilation and moisture control issues in all buildings. "There are other issues as well that perhaps you don't see as visibly but are equally pressing," he said. "There's really no way the scope of our budget can accommodate those projects."

School Board President Colleen Foley said the Board is very aware of the economy and no decisions have been made. "But it is prudent of us to plan for it going forward....We are now at a point where several of our buildings have significant health and safety issues."

BBS originally presented the district's ad hoc facilities committee with a total of $45.19 million for all facility and program-driven projects. The committee, which was formed in March to study the possibility of issuing a bond to fund capital improvements in the district, told BBS that the district would not be able to accomplish all of the recommended projects and asked that they develop a plan that focused solely on building needs that would require the public to vote on a bond that totaled no more than $20 million. They also requested that less expensive projects be set aside so that the district could attempt to include them in the district's annual budget and maintenance plan.

BBS came back with a revised total of $19.76 million. An "average homeowner," who is defined as someone with a home assessed at $2,330, would be required to pay an additional $163.85 if the bond is approved. The architect plans to speak more about the bond at the March 10 work session and further Board discussion is expected.

Foley said if the bond does not pass, the Board will have to find another way to address the major projects that affect health and safety. "There's not fluff, there's not something unnecessary in there [the bond]. It's something we're going to have to do now, or we're going to have to do it at some point later...The later is not always the best choice because the damage continues, but we're looking very, very carefully at it."

The public has several upcoming opportunities to comment and ask budget-related questions. Besides the regular work sessions and meetings, there will be a public hearing on the budget on Monday, May 11. Garden City residents will be asked to vote on the budget on Tuesday, May 19. For a complete list of budget sessions, visit www.gardencity.k12.ny.us.