White Plains CitizeNetReporter - School Budget on Track to Hit $194 Million and rising in 2010-11

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 21, 2009 UPDATED WITH SCHOOL BOARD AGENDA, 2 P.M. E.D.T. UPDATED 2:27, LAST PARAGRAPH WITH DETAIL: Monday evening the Board of Education meets to approve a new three year contract with the White Plains Teachers Association. After 18 months of stalled negotiations.

The teachers apparently have walked away with what they wanted in the first place: a contract that makes up for the 17% increase in costs of medical benefits they allege have happened to erode their wages the last two years, plus an Earnings Schedule that has been lifted across the board by 2% (retroactive to this year) and 2% next year and 1.25% in 2010-11. Although WPCNR has been told there is a provision in the settlement to lift that 1.25% to 2 1/2 percent in the spring of 2011.

The effect of the raises coupled with a projection of 9.6% in medical costs, projects a school property tax increase of $450 on the average White Plains home with a market value of $650,000 to$700,000 before factoring in other cost increases over the next yearin 2010-11. If assessments decline another $5 Million by next January (as they did this year) that $450 increase in school taxs goes up to $609 in 2010-11 just to make up the loss in the tax base.

It is reasonable to assume the union would balk at any attempts to scale back the ratio of the longevity and rewards for pursuing degrees in an Earnings Schedule that makes teachers in comparable school districts long to be a White Plains teacher.

The 5.5 percent wage increase and an expected upturn in health care costs of 10% (as reported nationally last week) saddle the school district as a result of this settlement of $5.5 million in salaries and roughly $3.4 Million in benefits costs if the benefits costs go up 10% due to market factors(not counting the union “givebacks” of paying 8% and 9% of health benefits this year and next.

These two trends alone -- the 2% (actually 5.5%) raise and the projected benefits costs) create an increase of $9 Million in the budget before expected increases in retirement contributions, before utility increases, before increase in debt service, and before making up any drop in the city assessment roll.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute projects a 9.6% increase in medical costs in 2009, and does not have a forecast for 2010 as yet.)

The result is that the median White Plains home of an under-65 taxpayer in a home with a market value of $650,000 to $700,000 will see a property tax increase to $8,442 in 2010-11, up $450 from this year’s property tax of $7,992. (This means an increase in the $515 per thousand of assessed value tax rate we start paying July 1 to an increase of $533 per thousand in 2010-11.)

On the other hand, if as City Assessor Lloyd Tasch told WPCNR last month, the city loses another $5 Million of the tax roll (as it did this year)as Tasch predicted, that tax goes up $609 to $8,601 and the tax rate per thousand dollars of assessed value goes up to $543 per $1,000.

Senior citizens over 65 will see less of a tax increase because their Enhanced STAR Exemption is higher.

The point of this is that new Superintendent of Schools Christopher Clouet has to start looking at the 2010-2011 budget from Day One, perhaps slowing the rate of spending to ready the district for the budget shocks coming from the Retirement Benefits increase (warned of Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli), and the laundry list of other expenses.

If the city should dodge the certiorari express headed down the track at next year’s assessment roll and assessments stay at this year’s level of $286.8 Million, then the district settlement and benefits will only cost the taxpayer who owns a $650,000 to $700,000 home the lower $450 increase (plus whatever all the other budget factors cost).

The 2 percent plus the built in longevity raises has the effect if raising the salaries of the district 16% over the three year length of the contract, 5.5% a year. If from what we here the last year of the contract may increase to 2-1/2%, though now reported by the Superintendent of Schools as 1.25%, that’s a 17% increase by 2011-12.

The 5-1/2 percent occurs thanks to automatic years of service increases and rewards for advancing towards academic degrees (Masters and Ph.ds) presents in pay of 16 percent. It is true they increase their share of health benefits to 8% this coming year and 9% in 2010-11, but this amount to about $100 this coming year, not a bad tradeoff for the pay increases.

The increase of 2% in the salary scales means that if no teacher advances at all in credits towards degrees, all still get a 3.5% longevity increase plus another 2%, increasing salary 5.5% to in some cases, 5.8% for 2008-09, and another 5.5% in 2009-10 and 4.75% in 20010-11. Total raise: 15.75%.

If the as-reported-to us-raise to 2-1/2% in 20010-11 POSSIBLE in mid year is correct and granted, the full increase through 2010-11 is 17%.

The Board of Education Agenda for Monday Evening at Education House:

SPECIAL BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

Monday, June 22, 2009

Education House

7:30 P.M.

AGENDA

PUBLIC HEARING ON CONTRACT FOR EXCELLENCE PLAN FOR 2009-10

I. Opening of Meeting:

Pledge of Allegiance

Oral announcements by the Board President, Board Members

II. Communications:

III. Public Participation: (The Board will entertain comments from the public on any issue, with a time limit of three minutes per person, and a maximum total of 25 minutes.)

IV. Superintendent’s Report:

Strategic Plan

Capital Project Update

Class Size

Acknowledgement of State Comptroller’s follow-up report

V. Summary Action Items:

1. Recommended approval to arrange for the appropriate program and services for students

with disabilities, as recommended by the Committee on Special Education: 2 cases, as

per attachment.

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2. Recommended approval to add the following to the list of organizations permitted use of facilities: White Plains Wrestling Club, St. Thomas Orchestra, White Plains Tiger Youth Group and Planet 90 Soccer.

3. Recommended approval of a consultant agreement with Dr. Louis McIntyre for Physical Exams.

Civil Service Staffing:

4. Recommended approval of the termination of employment of Isela Chacon, Food Service

Helper, Post Road School, effective 6/23/09.

5. Recommended acceptance of the resignation of Shirley Harris, Food Service Helper,

High School, effective 6/23/09.

6. Recommended approval of the placement of the following on the preferred eligible list,

due to abolition of positions:

Brian Artis, Security Assistant, effective 7/1/09

Manolin Arismendez, Security Assistant, effective 7/1/09

Linda Donahoe, Office Assistant I (.40), effective 7/1/09

Frank Fontanello, Director of Security, effective 7/1/09

Susan Werner, Parent Information Center Assistant, effective 7/1/09

7. Recommended approval of title changes for the following positions:

3 Secretary positions to Office Assistant II effective 7/1/09

1 Secretary position to Office Assistant II effective 11/1/09

1 Requisition Control Clerk position to Office Assistant II effective 7/1/09

8. Recommended approval of the 26-week probationary appointment of Sergio Martinez, Senior Custodian, George Washington School, effective 5/20/09 (has been serving

provisionally).

9. Recommended approval of the permanent appointment of Frank Fontanello, Security Assistant, current location Middle School-Eastview, 7 hours per day, effective 7/1/09, resulting from the abolishment of the Director of Security position (replacing J. Palma).

10. Recommended approval of the substitute appointments as per Board approved

“Substitute, Summer School and Supplemental Rates” as per attachment.

Teacher Staffing

11. Recommended acceptance of the resignation of Leanne Archambault, Teaching

Assistant, George Washington, effective 8/31/09.

12. Recommended approval of the appointment* of district-wide substitute Teaching

Assistants, as per Board approved “Substitute, Summer School and Supplemental Rates,”

Jackie Simmons

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13. Recommended approval that the following Teaching Assistants with least seniority in the

Teaching Assistant tenure area, whose positions are being excessed effective 6/30/09, be

placed upon the Preferred Eligible List for 7 years, effective 7/1/09:

Camille Marquis

William Calvin Miller

Joyce Romero

Phyllis Arcuni

Elisa Groglio

Nubia Gonzalez

Sandra MacGregor

Margie Soto

14. Recommended acceptance of the resignation for the purpose of retirement of Linda

Dolinko-Gold, Elementary Education Teacher (Instructional Specialist K-5), Church

Street School, effective 7/1/09.

15. Recommended approval of a request for an extension of childcare leave for Nicole Reis,

English Teacher, High School, effective 7/1/09-1/31/10.

16. Recommended approval of the appointment of Julie Pastore to the position of Adult Education Program Supervisor-Evening Program (10 hours per week), Adult &

Continuing Education Program, effective 9/9/09-6/23/10.

17. Recommended approval of the appointments of Louise Perret and Nancy Blaney to the

position of Adult Basic Education ESOL Teachers, Adult & Continuing Education Evening Program, Rochambeau School, effective 7/6/09.

18. Recommended approval of the appointment of Nancy Blaney to the position of Adult Basic Education ESOL Teacher, Adult & Continuing Education Traditional Day Program, Rochambeau School, effective 7/6/09.

19. Recommended approval of compensation for the following, as per attachments:

a) 2008-09 Summer Professional Development Activities, Staff Development Center

Activities, and Technology Institute Activities stipends

b) 2009 Summer School appointments

c) 2008-09 Interscholastic-Co-curricular appointments

d) 2009-10 Technology appointments

20. Recommended approval of the Probationary appointments of:

Donna Killian* (Replacing L. Harris-Shoulders)

BS - New York University (English Education)

MLS - St John’s University (Library Science)

Certification: Initial, Library Media Specialist & Permanent English 7-12

Tenure Area: School Media Specialist (Library)

Current Assignment: Middle School-Highlands, Library Media Specialist

Probationary Period: 8/31/09-8/30/12

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Steven Seltzer* (Replacing E. Zuch)

BA - SUNY/Oneonta (English)

MS - College of New Rochelle (Special Education)

MS - College of New Rochelle (School Administration & Supervision)

Certification: Permanent, Special Education

Tenure Area: Special Education

Current Assignment: Districtwide, CPSE/CSE Chairperson

Probationary Period: 8/31/09-8/30/12

VI. Other Action:

1. Recommended approval of a contract between the White Plains Teachers Association and

the White Plains City School District, effective 7/1/08-6/30/11.

2. Recommended approval of the probationary appointments of:

Tashia A. Brown* (Replacing A. Chestnut)

BS - University of Vermont (Elementary Education)

MS - New York University (Education Administration)

Ed.M. - Columbia University (Curriculum & Teaching)

Certification: Provisional, SAS, ESOL & Permanent, Elementary Education N-6

Tenure Area: Elementary Assistant Principal

Current Assignment: Assistant Principal, Ridgeway School

Probationary Period: 8/1/09-7/31/12

3. Recommended approval of a reduction in position from 100% to 50% of full time, effective 7/1/09, for the positions of: Coordinator, Testing, Evaluation & Funded Programs (State Magnet School funds) Director, PreKindergarten Program

4. Recommended approval of a reduction in position for Lucia De Rosa, Director, PreKindergarten Program, from 100% to 50% of full time, effective 7/1/09.

5. Recommended adoption of White Plains High School’s Code of Conduct for staff,

developed by a WPHS Faculty and Administrative Committee, to be implemented in the

2009-10 school year.

6. Recommended acceptance of the Internal Auditor Report for the 2008-09 school year.

7. Recommended approval of Undesignated Fund Balance and establishment of 2008-09 Tax Certiorari Reserve.

8. Recommended approval of counsel’s recommendation for a resolution pertaining to tax

certiorari settlements.

9. Bids and contracts: exterminator services; security alarm monitoring and repair; fire alarm monitoring and repair; relocation and installation of fiber optic cable at Post Road School; printing of Adult Education Bulletin.

10. Recommended approval of a contract with Bootleg Productions for use of district facilities for filming.

11. Recommended approval of the Joint Facilities Agreement between the City of White Plains and the White Plains City School District.

VII. Board Discussion:

1.&


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