RCS interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Johnson presented a preliminary budget for the 2009-2010 school year to the Board of Education at its regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 23. The $42,855,715 preliminary budget calls for a spending increase of $957,238 over the 2008-2009 budget, and has a projected tax levy increase of 4.44 percent.

“This was an especially painful budget to develop as our district is faced with more than $2 million of increased costs,” Dr. Johnson said.

Of those increased costs, about half  – or $1,061,261 –  fall under the heading of program and contractual expenses. An increase of $581,567 was budgeted for employee benefits for retirees, and an increase of $373,158 was included to cover rising health insurance costs for district employees. The preliminary budget presumes that RCS will lose $526,794 in state aid as provided in Gov. David Paterson’s proposed state budget.

Like most school districts, RCS allocates a large portion of its annual budget for costs related to district employees. Employee salaries and benefits ­– including health, retirement and unemployment – make up nearly 70 percent of the current budget. The proposed budget includes a reduction of 20 teaching positions, but due to retirement and other forms of attrition, only eight teachers would lose their jobs.

“Facing a $2 million budget dilemma forced us to look at staff reductions,” Dr. Johnson said. “I clearly understand the pain this causes to those affected. Our administrators have personally notified the eight teachers with the least seniority in the district who, at this time, unfortunately, will not have a job in our district next year. I am hopeful that through potential leaves of absences, maternity leaves, and other voluntary staff changes that we will be able to reduce some of this impact.”

In his presentation, Dr. Johnson detailed how staff cuts would affect class size. Currently the district’s two elementary schools have class sizes ranging from 14 to 22 students per class. Under the proposed budget, class sizes next year would be between 15 and 23 students per class. In the middle school, class sizes would increase from 16 to 20 students per class to 21 to 23 students per class. Even with the additional students in each class, this increase would still allow the district to maintain its class-size guidelines of 19-23 students per kindergarten through grade 2 class and 24-26 students per grade 3-8 class.

In the high school, projected class sizes have not yet been determined because students haven’t yet registered for classes. However, Dr. Johnson said that he was able to recommend staff adjustments based on current enrollment. For instance, in the high school art department, there is an average of 12 students in each class. Dr. Johnson has recommended that the board reduce the district’s art department staff by one teacher which would increase class sizes slightly without cutting the art program itself. Contractually, the district would have to let the art teacher with the least seniority go.

 

Additional staff cuts also proposed

In addition to the eight teachers, seven teaching assistants have been notified that, at this time, they will not be employed by the district next year. Dr. Johnson said that that school officials thought they would need to cut nine teaching assistant positions, but by cancelling a BOCES contract the district can utilize two teaching assistants to perform that work.

The proposed budget also includes eliminating an administrative position. Last week, the board selected P.B. Coeymans Principal Elizabeth Smith to replace Dr. Diane Albano as assistant superintendent for instruction. Dr. Albano is retiring at the end of the school year. Dr. Johnson recommends that the board fill the principal position from within the district with another administrator, and not fill that administrator’s position.

Dr. Johnson said he is optimistic that the district will not have to reduce operations and maintenance staff. He is currently working with union representatives to reduce $100,000 in overtime costs to avoid staff cuts in that area.

Dr. Johnson said that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – commonly referred to as the federal economic stimulus plan – might have a significant effect on the proposed school budget before it goes before voters on May 19. However, if the district does receive additional aid as a result of this stimulus package, Dr. Johnson said he would recommend that the board use the additional revenue to replenish the district’s fund balance and tax certiorari account, which he says would otherwise be critically low. Any additional stimulus funds would go to reducing the tax levy to around two percent, he said.

“Any aid we receive through the federal stimulus package is going to be short-lived,” Dr. Johnson said. “At most, it will provide funds for the next two years. However, our economic challenges are likely to last for three or four years – or longer. We need to position the district to meet those challenges.”