Hits: 0
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 31, 2008: The White Plains Board of Education adopted the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget of $184 Million Monday night, holding out the possibility that it might dip slightly lower pending increased state aid resulting from the final State Legislature budget. The average White Plains home will pay $12,420 in county, city and school taxes in 2008-2009. The $184 Million budget is $1.4 Million higher than the Contingency Budget the state would impose, if the voters voted tonight’s budget down May 20.
The Deed Is Done: School Board within seconds after voting to approve the Superintendent of Schools Proposed $184 Million School Budget last night. Left to Right,Sheryl Brady, Rosemarie Eller, Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors, Donna McLaughlin, Terence McGuire, Peter Bassano, Charles Norris, and Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education.
The budget adopted is $1,389, 042 higher than would go into affect if a state-mandated Contingency Budget had to be adopted if the voters of White Plains vote down the school budget. The adopted budget which will be presented to voters May 20.
$12,420 in School, City, County Taxes
The adopted school budget will result in a $479 Tax increase for the average White Plains home assessed at $15,000 (a $700,000 home), creating total school taxes of $7,599. Add to this a city property tax of $2,600 (if there is no city tax increase) and $2,200 in County property taxes and the total taxes paid by the owner of that $700,000 home in White Plains will be $12,420 breaking White Plains taxpayers into the 5-figure tax club.
Tax Rate Descended $1 in one week to $506.61 per assessed $1,000 in Value an increase of $32 over last year.
Monday morning, Mayor Delfino told WPCNR city property taxes would indeed rise, and noted that had Assemblyman Adam Bradley put in for the 1/2% increase as Mayor Delfino had requested in the fall, there would not be any tax increase in city taxes.
Technology Overhaul for $500,000 Plus
In the budget, the school board provided for hiring a new Director of Management Information Systems for $150,000, a new Database Manager for $100,000, a new Special Education Consultant Teacher for $70,000 and a Special Education Private Schools Placement director partime for $41,000 by adding to the duties of a person on staff. Classified staff was cut by $180,000 to allow for the new data hires.
The new data management and database manager positions are part of an effort by the district to upgrade their technology, last updated in 1996. Over the last eight years, present data management persons have been unable to meet the Board of Education’s annual demands for longitudinal data studies that would demonstrate the success or lack of success of student performances by group through each grade. Commissioning BOCES to execute such studies, according to Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors in a meeting last week has not delivered the data the district had hoped for when the contract for BOCES to analyze district data was signed last year.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Fred Seiler reported at the Board of Education meeting last week that the new database persons would be hired after the new software has been purchased to upgrade the school data system. That software (one of two education-oriented softwares available) would be purchased for an additional $300,000 as the district begain its district data overhaul. Present data managers previously charged with supplying the performance data to the district, but who could not provide the detail with the present system due to input problems in the past, will remain on the staff. Their inability to provide the data the Board requested was why BOCES was tried last year as a solution.
Grousing About Baseball Field Cosmetics
In another matter last night, Board of Education President Donna McLaughlin and Peter Bassano complained about a surprise item: $90,000 to renovate the backstop and dugouts for the varsity baseball field. It was said that the baseball field at the high school had not been renovated in 17 years. However, this reporter remembers the field being completed resodded, dugouts being put in (privately) and temporary fences.
It was speculated by some in the audience privately, this was just the baseball-oriented contingent attempting to keep up with the softball contingent which is getting new dugouts this spring. Superintendent Connors could not explain to the Board why the baseball field improvements were needed, and suggested the Board could take the $90,000 out of the budget if they wished.
Mr. Bassano and Ms. McLaughlin declined to do so, and the board adopted the budget with the proviso that the $90,000 would remain in the budget, to be looked at.
WPCNR notes that had baseball or softball field markings or markings for both of those sports been incorporated into the Loucks Field synthetic surface, (with portable dugouts), there would have been no need to resurface or build dugouts on either the softball or baseball diamonds.
Winners and losers
A total of $237,575 in expenditures was cut, including $60,000 for bleachers in the high school south gym, which does not have any; deleting refurbishing of a science lab and a locker room at Eastview saved $105,000; and $191,541 was saved due to retirements. A total of $500,000 in additional revenue is expected from restoration of tuition in private schools ($100,000) and $310,000 in BOCES Aid and $90,000 in Foundation Aid.
The Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler said this was the the lowest tax increase in 9 years. The tax increase in 1999-2000 was 6.72%. Since that year, the tax increases have run as follows:
2000-01 – —7.64%
2001-02 ——7.94%
2002-03 ——8.59%
2003-04——-6.89%
2004-05——-7.53%
2005-06——-9.36%
2006-07——-8.12%
2007-08 ——6.95%
2008-09—— 6.74% (proposed )
$200 Million Here We Come!
Should the budget continue on its present course, with a similar 5.72% increase next year (2009-2010) and no decrease in the assessment roll, the school budget will be $194.5 Million.
However, it should be remembered that the school district takes on much larger debt in 2009-2010, perhaps another new contract with the teachers (depending on the length of the new one now being negotiated), plus a round of new certioraris that were postponed from 2008-09 into 2009-10. The odds are good next year’s budget will hit $200 Million.
Peter Bassano, a member of the Board of Education asked Mr. Seiler why the budget went up 5,72%, and the tax increase was a full percentage point above that. Mr. Seiler explained when state aid goes down ½%, ($150,000), the property tax has to make up that revenue.
$50 Million in Financing Going to Market in June
Mr. Seiler told WPCNR that the district would be going into the markets for financing of $50 Million for Post Road School and the Mamaroneck Avenue School in June. He said the district underwriting specialist predicted that due to the district bond rating, financing of 5% could be obtained.
Loucks Rounds the Far Turn and Down the Stretch It Comes
Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors announced a lacrosse game May 2 would dedicate the new Loucks Field. He also said a community ceremony May 8 at the start of the Loucks Games at White Plains High School there would be a community ceremony, too, thanking the community.
Fred Seiler said the district contractor expects to begin installing the Mondo track (needed for the Loucks Games) beginning Wednesday. He said it would take three weeks to install it and that in order for it to be a successful installation, the district needed temperatures in the 50s and 60s and dry weather, though once rain stopped, the surface did not need to have drying time before the rubberized track surface had to be installed. The district has 39 days before the Loucks Games begin.
In another Loucks Field matter, the Board approved $375,000 in contingency funds (previously budgeted for the job) to pay for additional rock-clearing (found under the surface) of the south end of the new field, leaving $11,000 in contingency funds available. Asked if the contractor had not done rock borings which should have revealed the subsurface, Seiler said they had done such borings, that was why they included contingency for it.
Contract Complaint
The district approved a contract for the Heating and Air Conditioning at Post Road School against the protest of Patrick McVeigh, Jr., Director of Labor Management for Mengler Mechanical, Inc., a competing local contractor located in Brewster, NY.
McVeigh, in the public session said he had pointed out to the school board that the contractor chosen, JNS had been cited by the Attorney General for falsification of business records, false filings and perjury in efforts to obtain construction contracts on Long Island. McVeigh said the contractor had subsequently been cleared of those charges.
McVeigh told WPCNR that the Board of Educationhad advised him they had decided to award the contract on the advice of the White Plains district lawyers. JNS was the low bidder on the $4 Million heating and air conditioning contract on Post Road School by 1/3 of 1%. McVeigh made the point that the school district, according to its own contracts, “reserves the right to reject any bid.” Superintendent of Schools Connors said the Board had gone over the contracts, done its due diligence and selected the contractor accordingly.
Post Road Poised
The Board voted to approve all the contracts for construction of Post Road School which Fred Seiler said he expected would begin in approximately 3 weeks. He said they were behind, but still on target to complete the new school in September 2008.
