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Utilities, Supplies, Equipment, New Positions Drive Tentative School Budget up 9.8%

Debt postponement keeps budget from being higher.

Board of Education to present preliminary budget increase for 2001-2002 to Annual Budget Committee February 7, February 13 and March 7.

By John F. Bailey

CityLine: Education House, January 29

The White Plains Board of Education and Dr. Saul Yanofsky's School District "Cabinet" held its first talks on their early version of the 2001-2002 School Budget Monday evening before this reporter and one interested parent. Their first cut at the budget will be presented to the Annual Budget Committee February 7 at Education House.

The Board was presented with a budget from Dr. Saul Yanofsky and the School District Cabinet that called for a preliminary 9.8% increase in spending in 01-02, bringing the budget to $120,771,803. The budget for 2000-01 is $109,954,954. Four specific expense categories were singled out as contributing to the increase: Utility costs, school supplies, equipment and staff increases.

"Very preliminary Budget."

The Board was cautioned that this was a preliminary budget and that depending on the upcoming Annual Budget Committee meetings, the budget could be trimmed considerably, but that this was the Cabinet's best effort.

The budget first presented to the Annual Budget Committee by the District is not usually accepted and presented as is. In last year's budget process, for example, the District presented a 7.1% increase to the Annual Budget Committee, and the budget increase after the meetings ended up being trimmed to 6.3%, according to Richard Lasselle, Assistant Superintendent for Business

State Aid in Question and cannot be figured in.

The School Board is in the position of not knowing how much more school aid will be forthcoming from the state, due to the vast disagreement between Governor George Pataki and the state legislature on the amount budgeted for school aid in 2001-02. The Governor budgetted only $400 million, the legislature, 1.4 billion, according to Lasselle. Whatever compromise the Governor and the legislature arrive at will not be known until at least April 1, the day the state budget is scheduled to be adapted by the legislature.

The Board of Education is to adopt the district 2001-02 budget on March 26, and the public vote on the budget is scheduled for May 15, 2001.

Lasselle guessed that White Plains State aid would increase some 3 million dollars or so, up from $8.7 million, but the district could not count upon that in figuring the preliminary budget.

Effect on the taxpayer:

Of the White Plains homeowner's tax dollar, the proposed 9.8% increase (unless cut, of course) could actually mean a school tax rate increase of about 12%. WPCNR interviewed a city expert on taxation and finance on what this 9.8 increase would mean.

Our source said that if all other bases of revenue to the school district remain the same in 01/02, the school tax would only increase 9.8% -- the amount of the proposed increase, or whatever final increase is passed.

However, they said if the city assessments dipped or sales taxes dipped, then the actual school tax would have to go higher to make up the deficit.

How would this impact the typical White Plains homeowner?

The average White Plains home is valued at $300,000, according to the Tax Assessor's Office. A $300,000 home is assessed at $12,750, resulting in a school tax of $3,552.02, a city tax of $1,166.37, and a county tax of $1,008.78. The school district receives 62% of your tax dollar; the city 20.5% and Westchester County 17.5%.

A 9.8% budget increase in 01/02 would increase your $3,552 payment $348, unless assessibles dropped, sales taxes dropped, school aid dropped, or other revenue shortfalls developed, in which case you would pay more.

It is interesting to note that the School District taxation rate (not the actual budget increases which are lower) has increased at a consistent rate over the last ten years, based on the City of White Plains Property Tax Rates Chart. For example the School District tax rate increased from $258 to $278 from 1999-2000 to 2000-2001, a School Tax Rate increase of 8%. In 1998--99 the rate was $242 and it went up to $258 in 1999-2000, a Tax Rate increase of 6%.

The tax rate increases from 1998 to 1999 and from 1997 to 1998 were 5% and 4% respectively, then they jump again back in the mid-nineties, with increases of 8%, 9%, 9%, 11% and 10% stretching back from 1996-97 to 1991-92. The actual School Tax rate has a consistent pattern of being ahead of the school budget increases.

Three "adjustments" to reach this point.

Dr. Yanofsky said that the first budget submission called for a $124,077,843 budget or an expense increase of 12.8%. By eliminating requests for 16 new teaching positions and 9.5 classified position requests, on a school-by-school basis, the budget was trimmed by $1,443,950. Yanofsky said that each of the schools had requested new teaching positions, some more than others, but they were eliminated in order not to show favoritism towards one school over another. This first adjustment trimmed the overall increase to 11.5%

The second budget adjustment trimmed $984,610 from the budget by eliminating $306,000 in new science lab equipment and postponing a debt service payment of $475,877, with other cuts in new classroom allocation, transportation expenses, new equipment. Now the budget was trimmed to a 10.6%, for a total of $121,649,283.

The final "Cabinet Cut" resulted in trimming the final budget to 9.8%, or $120,771,803.

The final cuts included eliminating 3 districtwide teaching positions in art, music and physical education ($195,000); 2.50 new teaching positions in math remediation, districtwide ($162,500); anticipated cutting back of BOCES placements ($246,787); decreasing new science lab equipment ($119,000); and decreasing out of district tuitions ($130.000), plus the elimination of 5 other new positions for a savings of $235,000. A savings of $1,136,480 was achieved, but $259,000 in new expenses were added that included a new teaching position for afternoon and evening programs ($65,000), 3 new Special Education positions ($135,000), a Summer Prep Program ($12,000), an athletic trainer ($22,000) and public information products and services ($25,000).

Utilities, Supplies major areas of concern.

The largest single increase in any category in the budget is Supplies coming in with a 22% increase. Yanofsky said the high cost of printer cartridges (about $35 a cartridge), and printing out from computers and the internet by students and faculty at all facilities in the district has added to the increase in this category.

In 99/00 the district spent $1,452,965 on supplies; in 00/01, they have budgeted $1,539,813, (a 6% increase) and the new budget calls for $1,879,289 (a 22% increase)

The second largest increase is in utilities, gas, electric and oil costs, at 18% . In 99/00 $1,555,451 was paid to utilities. The 00/01 adopted budget is calling for $1,641,150 for oil, gas and electric (a 5.5% increase). They expect to pay 1,936,300 in utilities in 01-02, a 18% hike. Yanofsky blamed this strictly on rate increases.

Third culprit is Equipment, climbing 15.4%; Fourth highest increase is in BOCES Services at 14.7%, with Fringe Benefits the next largest category at 12%.

Yanofsky said that Fringe Benefits the second highest budget item at $18,142,573 were increasing 12% due to an 11% increase in health insurance costs.

Salaries up 9.4%; 18.9 new positions requested.

Salaries make up the largest piece of the school budget at $73,743,700, and they increase 9.4%, due to 30 new hires.

Yanofsky said that the district has added 18.9 certified salaried positions for the 01-02 year, and 12 classified staff positions.

These positions included a full time kindergarten teacher at Ridgeway to provide for an all-day kindergarten option at that school, bringing it in line with the other four kindergartens. Another position has also been added to the Newcomer Center.

At the Middle Schools, Eastview has added a full time Family and Consumer Science instructor "to build up to meet state requirements," and the Highlands a full-time math instructor. Eastview has added a .2 Guidance position and a .2 Health position. Highlands a .4 ESOL teacher. Positions are hired and duties split between various schools, and this is expressed in percentages.

In the high school, 5.7 positions are being added, including another full-time Guidance Counselor and a full-time Psychologist. Yanofsky reports this was to keep the ratio of students to guidance counselors to the current 1 to 220, because the high school has increased enrollment by 150 children. The high school is adding another teaching position for the Afternoon/Evening Program, and a 1.3 position to divide time between Spanish, Math and Health, as well as .8 Art and .6 Physical Education positions.

Districtwide, 5.5 positions are being added. A full-time and a half position in Elementary Music, two new full-time WINGS positions; one new Physical Education Instructor and a new Special Education instructor.

In Community and Alternative Programs, 2.9 positions are being added to be divided as follows: .4 English Spanish; one position for the TSAP program; one position for the Passages Special Education program, and a half position for the Passages program.

Proposes expanding successful programs at cost of $893,850.

A Series of successful endeavors by the school district are recommended for expansion.

They include $141,000 to improve the Passages program which brings district children back from BOCES, and results in ultimate savings to the district in BOCES tuitions.

The District would like to expand the Primary Development Class aimed at Autistic Children by adding a third class at a cost of $168,750.

The budget requests $104,100 to fund the Transitional Skills Acquisition Program for children leaving eighth grade, who are deemed not to have sufficient skills to be successful in high school.

The WINGS program is to be expanded by $130,000 providing one full-time WINGS teacher for every elementary school.

The Newcomer Center is to be funded with an additional $100,000 to provide and extra class for fifth and sixth graders coming into the school district. Currently there are classes for first and second graders and third and fourth graders. Yanofsky said this program has been very successful in readying new students to learn at District standards.

The Budget requests $150,000 to continue the Extended School Year programming that the school is losing funding for.

An additional full day kindergarten is being established at Ridgeway for $100,000.

New Programs

Only $92,000 is being committed to new programs in proposed 01/02.

The district is calling for $12,000 to be spent on the Summer Preparation Program which is designed to build study skills and motivate students to take on more challenging academic courses.

The Board would also like to install a Late Afternoon and Evening Program at a cost of $80,000 to students who are working to bring home money. The program is designed to offer schooling at times that work around the students' work schedules.

The Proposed 2001/02 Budget as it goes to the Budget Advisory Committee, Wednesday, February 7

The category of Other Expenses ($3,630,562) includes such items as:
- Maintenance & Contracts - $396,804
- Rentals - $403,101
- Insurance -$350,000
- Educational Support Services - $543,719
- Administrative Support - $342,900
- Legal, Accounting, Financial Services - $337,500
- Postage - $158,298

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