A large group of parents and Village residents filled the library at the Garden City High School to listen to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen’s fourth and final budget presentation at a Garden City Board of Education work session held on Tuesday evening. The meeting focused on several instructional components of the 2010/2011 budget, including Pupil Personnel Services (PPS), instructional and administrative technology and athletics.

“Tonight is the last presentation of the superintendent’s budget,” announced School Board President Colleen Foley. “When the budget process started, the Board of Education asked the superintendent and administrative staff to take into account the current economic situation, and the sensitivity to the tax burden that residents are facing, and to develop a budget that continued to provide the quality of educational services.

“If this sounds like an impossible task, it is. It is an impossible task if the expectation is to be accomplished without any change. The superintendent’s budget reflects the change that is being recommended to the Board of Education. No one, no one, wants to cut or make adjustments to any part of the educational program solely based on cost. The Board of Education and administration have tried and have successfully presented budgets to the public that we feel are fiscally responsible and accomplish the educational goals at hand.”

Dr. Feirsen’s proposed budget is $98,275,256, which is 3.21 percent higher than last year. The projected tax levy increase (with STAR) is 4.52 percent. The budget is still a work in progress. The superintendent and some administrative staffers will now attend several smaller, more intimate budget-focused meetings sponsored by the PTA and local community groups.

Dr. Feirsen and Foley noted the large number of residents who packed the room to listen and voice their concerns on the budget. “Your presence here, many people who don’t normally come to Board meetings, is testament to really how important this budget year is,” he said.

The superintendent explained that in a usual year his job would be to decide how much programs can be enhanced. “We’re not doing that this year,” he said. “We’re really looking at trying to maintain the integrity of the overall program while addressing some very difficult fiscal issues.”

Some of the challenging fiscal issues Dr. Feirsen referred to are a significant reduction in state aid, which he estimated will total more than $600,000. Large increases in state-mandated contributions to the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Employee Retirement System have also deeply affected the budget. The teacher retirement system contribution has risen 43 percent, and the district has seen a similar increase with the state employee retirement system, which covers non-teaching and non-certificated personnel. The 2010-11 budget calls for 8.8 percent of the payroll paid by the district to go toward pension contributions to the NYS Teachers’ Retirement System. Dr. Feirsen also noted the district pays for other benefits and required salary increases.

He said if he had just moved everything in the budget into next year’s budget without making changes, taxpayers would see a budget-to-budget increase of at least seven percent, and a tax levy increase of eight percent or higher. He said that would not be acceptable to the public, who would most likely not have passed the budget. This would leave district administrators to make cuts in expenses totaling millions of dollars in a very short time.

As a way to ensure that whatever is done to the budget this year does not jeopardize the district’s future financial health, $2.8 million will continue to be allocated to the district fund balance. This balance will be used to reduce taxes in the following year.

The superintendent said he was called upon to make “very, very difficult choices” when examining projected revenues and expenditures. “When you are contracting things, particularly when the tradition has been enhancement, it becomes very painful to say we can’t do any more.”

PPS includes special education as well as nursing, guidance, psychological and social work services, speech and hearing services, home instruction, non-public school support and assistive technology. Dr. Feirsen explained that special education is the most regulated aspect of public education and is governed by many federal and state regulations.

As of October 7, there were 533 students with disabilities: 449 in district, 29 out of district and 13 placed by a parent in a non-public school and 42 non-residents placed by a parent in a non-public school. Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that took effect in 2007, all children in the school district, regardless of their district of residence, are required to be serviced by whatever school district the private or parochial school is located in. This means Garden City is required to service a significantly larger pool of students.

The governor has proposed a two percent annual growth cap on the county’s financial responsibility for funding the cost of preschool special education to school districts, which would mean the district will have to pay an additional $325,000. This cost does not include the additional transportation costs. The state and counties currently fund a significant portion of this education and school districts are responsible for coordinating the services. The governor also has proposed a reduction in the reimbursement provided for the Extended School Year program.

The proposed budget includes a cut in money for supplies and materials. Staff development is also slated to be reduced. The 2010-11 budget contains three full-time equivalent positions in general and special education in case of a potential enrollment increase. The number of psychologists, speech/language pathologists and social workers will remain unchanged.

The district tries to keep costs down by first trying to adapt the general education program before a student is referred for special education services. A substantial transportation expense is saved by trying to return students who are placed in programs out of the district. Garden City also accepts students from other districts, which generates revenue from tuition.

The guidance department will have their funding for supplies, materials and staff development reduced. There may also be a reduction in clerical support.

In the area of technology, Dr. Feirsen proposes eliminating a .6 technology staff developer position, which will reduce staff development. Overall staff development funds are recommended to be reduced, as well as supplies and materials, and funding for hardware. This means primary school computers will not be upgraded this year. The library and computer lab support staff may also be reduced.

Turning to athletics, four JV-B teams will be eliminated: boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, field hockey and baseball. JV-A teams will remain unchanged.

High school and middle school summer intramurals will be eliminated. In addition, funding for supplies, materials and staff development will be reduced.

For several years, the school district has been allowing public comments and questions at budget work sessions. As residents lined up at the microphone, Foley asked for a calm and civil exchange.

“From this point forward, the Board of Education will now be faced with a continued review of the budget,” she said. “We are aware of the economic climate. We are aware of the tax burden on Long Island and our community. We are aware of factors that affect this budget such as loss of state aid, increased contributions to the retirement system, post-retirement benefits, unfunded mandates and I could go on. We are aware of programs and concerns the residents and particularly parents have regarding what has been reported recently. We live here, we work here, we send our children to school here. We are your neighbors.

“Tonight this is not about the loudest voice or how many voices,” she said. “It is about your individual voice.”

Although speakers covered an array of budget-related topics, the most popular related to announcements Dr. Feirsen made at last week’s budget meeting. Several parents called on the Board not to increase the class size cap from 25 to 27 for classes in grades two through six. At Stewart School, 26 sections will be reduced to 23: two sections will have 24 students, 13 will have 25, seven will have 26 and one will have 27. At Stratford, 29 sections will be reduced to 28: 13 sections will have 24 students, six will have 25, seven will have 26 students and two will have 27 students. Out of all 51 sections, only three will be at the highest newly proposed level of 27 students.

Some residents expressed their concern about several of the staff reductions which equate to a net reduction of 10.8 full-time equivalent positions: 1 assistant principal, 4 elementary teacher positions, 1 elementary Quest teacher and a .2 Quest section, 1 elementary science specialist, 1 middle school sixth-grade teacher, 2 high school teachers, 2 paraprofessionals, 1 clerical position and a .6 technology staff developer. Elimination of the Quest and elementary science specialist proved to be the most controversial.

Some residents said they would be willing to pay a higher tax levy if it meant saving staff positions and programs. This was countered by another parent, who stressed the importance of keeping the tax levy as low as possible so families can continue to afford to live in the Village.

Some people were upset over the proposed elimination of the JV-B teams. These teams are primarily comprised of high school freshmen, so several parents are concerned that children in this grade will not have as many athletic opportunities.

Clubs are also being reduced by 10 percent at both the middle and high schools. At least one parent is concerned that students may hang out on Seventh Street after school since athletics and afterschool activities are being proposed to be reduced.

School Board Vice President Barbara Trapasso asked the board to consider even more cuts to clubs, especially at the high school level. She said her son came home with a list of at least 500 clubs being offered.

Union contracts expire June 30th, and the school district will soon begin the negotiation process. Several residents said they are concerned about health care, and suggested that teachers should pay more for their benefits. Teachers currently contribute 15 percent for individual policies and 25 percent for family policies. Dr. Feirsen said he hears the message “loud and clear” but won’t discuss bargaining strategies.

The public can still comment and ask budget-related questions at regular Board work sessions and meetings. There will also be a public hearing on the budget on Tuesday, May 11. Garden City residents will be asked to vote on the budget on Tuesday, May 18.