You Got Mailed: City/Sch Taxes Hit.$700G Median Home Total: $12,740.STAR CUT!

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2008 UPDATED 6:30 PM EDT: City government may delay very important decisions, but they do not delay tax bills.  Like death, the city tax bill for the first half of 2008-2009 arrived suddenly, confirming what only WPCNR of all the media in the state reported to our readers last April.


This year’s city and school tax for the median homeowner will be $10,342 compared to the 2007-2008 tax bill of $9, 634, a city and school tax combined increase of 7%.


 



 Albany legislators secretly cut the STAR Exemption, raising your assessment. In today’s tax bill the STAR Exemption was cut to $3,330, as WPCNR reported in April, from last year’s $3,700. This results in a $10,342 tax bill between city and school for the White Plains median home judged to be worth $700,000 on the market.  Inspecting your tax bill you will find your RES STAR Assessed Value to be $3,330.


Albany’s reducing the  STAR Exemption $370  costs the median homeowner about $186 more in school taxes, $7,618.09  under the $3,330 exemption as opposed to paying $7,431.97, under the $3,700 exemption  in effect in 2007.  


 It results in about $1 million more in taxes in the district – about 85% of the increase in state aid the city is getting, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business for the School District, Fred Seiler in a WPCNR report written in April


The County Tax, estimated by WPCNR to be $2,400, tagged on to the city and school tax bill brings the total tax on the White Plains median home to $12,742 – higher than WPCNR had originally estimated in the spring of this year, where our WPCNR Math Lab estimated $12,600.  Those of you opening your tax bills who own a home valued on the market over $700,000 will pay more, considerably more.


The city included a flier with the tax bill showing that the County collects 19% of your tax dollar and the school district, 61%, and the city 20%. It reminds the recipient payment is due by July 31 to avoid any interest charges.



WPCNR encourages the taxpayers to get their payments in early.

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No Agreement with White Plains Teachers Until Fall

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2008: WPCNR has learned that White Plains teacher negotiations on a new contract have been suspended through the summer and will not resume until the fall. A source close to the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WPCNR there will be no agreement until teachers return to work in September because the teachers’ contract specifically forbid any vote on a contract during the summer.


A vote on a teachers’ contract can only occur while the contract is in effect from September 1 through June 30, the source said. The source said the current items under discussion are salary and medical benefits. The source said the teachers were particularly annoyed at the increases in the salaries of 42 full-time Coordinators, Directors and principals and assistants who received $444,553 in salary increases for 2008-2009, an average of 7.5%, and an average raise in pay of $10,584. Though no salary figures have emerged from the clandestine negtiations, the teacher salaries in last year’s contract were held at 3.2% across all steps, substantially less than 7.5%. Some administrators received salary increases over 10%


Our contact said that the current contract for 2007-2008 would remain in effect until a new contract is negotiated and approved. The last time this happened, they recalled was in 1999-2000,

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School Bus Contractors, Districts Plea with Albany for Diesel Fuel Relief.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2008:  John Silvanie, President of White Plains Bus Company told WPCNR today he saw no relief in sight for the 50% increase in diesel fuel prices his company is facing due to the runup in diesel fuel.  He told WPCNR his company is locked in to a transit contract with the White Plains  City School District that entitles his company to fee increases tied strictly to the state Consumer Price Index, which he said this year is 4%. 



 The district is presently protected against school bus transportation increases, however they face possible monthly increases in their cost of electricity from the New York Power Authority. (The authority has the right to increase the cost of electricity they sell the district, at one third less than consumers pay, a spokesperson told WPCNR last week.)


Silvanie said that the State School Bus Contractors Association and other school districts across the state are mobilizing an effort to get the state legislature to provide more school aid to offset the doubling of transportation fuel costs.  A bill has been introduced in the Assembly by Assemblyman Peter Rivera to roll back fuel taxes for school bus operations (the state gets 70 cents a gallon for every gallon of diesel fuel), and also force school districts into a 4-day school week to conserve fuel costs. Presently the legislature is on vacation, and expects to be on vacation the rest of the year, pending the governor’s calling them back into session.



Last  week WPCNR asked Silvanie if he had any recourse in extracting more fuel money from the White Plains School District, he told me again today what he told WPCNR then  – “We don’t have any recourse. There’s nothing in the New York State Municipal Bid Law that allow us to be paid an additional amount for the (additional) cost of the fuel. I know there is some talk in the industry about trying to get a bill passed in Albany that would provide some relief.”


WPCNR asked if he was planning to consolidate bus routes in White Plains. “We really can’t. We’re not the ones to decide what the bus routes are the school district  does. We commingle the routes as much as we can so we use as little equipment as we possibly can. The district does not pay me to run one bus and run another an hour later on an elementary school trip or something like that. There’s no place we can go, in terms of our municipal customers, not that I haven’t thought about it. The same is true of our contracts with Westchester County.”


How does your company survive,WPCNR asked:  “Not easily, we’re tightening our belt as much as we can. We’re trying to get the best deals we can out of our fuel suppliers. But the reality is the cost of fuel is up almost $2 a gallon.”


We asked, how long do you feel you can hold on at this level? “We just did a multi-year extension (contract)with White Plains. We’re contracted to do that. We have a moral and legal obligation to do it, so we’re going to do it.”


What do you anticipate the cost of living increase the state will give you? “The CPI this year (2008) is 4%. So the state has approved CPI increases of 4%. And our guess is, going forward  it’s going to be more than 4% (next year). When the cost per fuel goes up $2 a gallon,  2,3 or 4% isn’t going to take a big dent out there.”


State could change law on CPI relief.


The state cannot, Silvanie said increase the CPI allowance more than once a year according to the Municipal Bid Law, Silvanie said unless they changed the law.  “If they change the law, we certainly would try and get our school districts to help out.”


I asked what the other transportation companies are doing about this problem. “I know they have been talking in Albany about the potential of passing a bill that would allow contractors to get reimbursed from the school districts for the additional cost of fuel, and I think part of that was to also provide additional state aid for it because the school districts clearly don’t have the money to do that. Tax money doesn’t come from nowhere.”


Fuel Efficient Vehicles.


WPCNR asked if he  anticipated adding to his fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles:


 “School buses migrated in the 50s and 60s when they were gas-powered to where they were diesel-powered. There were two reasons for that, diesel was much less expensive at the time than gasoline and diesel engines are more efficient so they burned less fuel. A gasoline powered school bus in the 70s and early 80s got 5 miles a gallon, where diesel vehicles got 7 miles a gallon. Everybody in the industry migrated to diesel powered equipment.


“With the most recent 2007 and 2010 emission requirements on diesel engines, they are starting to be less efficient. People who are running 15-20 passenger school vans that are gasoline powered, they are finding there isn’t a big difference in consumption between diesel and gasoline-powered equipment and so the mpg are much closer. And the cost of diesel is significantly more than gasoline now.


So the reality is, as we buy new equipment we may migrate the smaller vans back from diesel to gasoline. It would take some time.”


How long can he sustain? Non-Contract Customers Raised 5 to 15%


WPCNR explored long he could operate under these fuel conditions.


“We don’t envision going out of business as a result of this. We’re raising rates for our non-contracted customers and so we’re doing what we need to do to stay in business. In the 86 years we’ve been in business there have been upturns anddownturns in the business climate and we’ve managed to stay in business and it’s our intention to continue to be in business.  It depends on the customer, anywhere from 5 to 15%.


Sports Consolidations


As far as field trips for the schools, WPCNR asked, does he anticipate increasing costs for those. “The reality is, with respect to the school district they are under contracted numbers. We really can’t. We will probably ask the school district to limit the non-educational field trips. Athletic trips, if we can double teams we’re going to do that as well. Instead of two buses we send one bus.”


Albany Attitude


I asked about the enthusiasm in Albany for perhaps giving bus companies relief:


“You have to remember that the children in New York State get school buses. Half of the school buses in New York State are owned by private contractors like our company, the other half are owned by school districts, so the school district operations have the same fuel problem the private bus companies have.


There obviously has to be a great deal of pressure on the non-contracted districts,  because  their cost of fuel has gone up the same $2 a gallon my cost has gone up. So there has to be pressure on those school budgets,which means that they’re going to be putting pressure on the elected representatives in Albany to find some relief for.


 


 

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Teachers Contract Not Settled . New Members Sworn. $1M in conslting apprvd

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. July 1, 2008 UPDATED 3:15 P.M. EDT: An announcement of a possible new contract with the White Plains Teachers union which expired at midnight last night, will not be announced tonight at the Reorganization an the first meeting of the 2008-2009 Board of Education. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors and White Plains Teachers Association President Kerry Broderick have not returned calls as of noon today from WPCNR asking whether  a new tentative contract has been reached.


 


A member of the Board of Education has informed the CitizeNetReporter  moments ago that an agreement has not been reached yet, noting that  “There is no settlement yet and discussions are progressing.  There is no impasse.  It just hasnt happened yet.”


 



New member of the School Board Randy Stein, left, and re-elected member Rosemarie Eller right will be sworn in this evening and a new Board of Education President appointed.


 


The School District will hold its Reorganization Meeting for the coming school year this evening, followed by a regular school board meeting of the newly constituted Board The new Board is expected to approve a series of consultant spending contracts totaling $822,404.


 


The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors will discuss test scores and the capital improvement project, and the Board expects to approve the purchase of Infinite Campus a new “student information system” that is expected to provide at last, longitudinal Kindergarten through high school individual and collective student performance by grade and class,on in-district academics and state achievement tests, vastly improving the district ability to gauge the effectiveness of their curriculum and teacher performances.


 


In spending approvals, the Board is expected to approve contracts for a Hearing Officer for $60,000; Donna Klein & Associates for Occupational Therapy Evaluations and Services for $300,000; Blythedale Children’s Hospital for Occupational and Physical Therapy Evaluations and Services for $150,000; MBF Investigative Services for residency investigations/surveillance and special assignments to verify legal residency of students for $60,000; and to the Children’s Literacy Initiative for 2008-2009 for $252,374.


 


The agenda:


 


 


 PUBLIC HEARING ON CONTRACT FOR EXCELLENCE PROPOSAL AGENDA


I. Opening of Meeting:


Pledge of Allegiance Moment of silence in memory of June Fleary, George Knies, Sylvia Kotch and Mark McKenzie, former and current staff members Oral Announcements by the Board President and 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: Graduations and School Closing Test Scores Capital Project


V. Summary Action Items:


1. Recommended approval of minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 9, and the Special Meetings of June 2, and 23, 2008.


2. Recommended approval of the district calendar for 2008-09 as amended. 


3. Recommended approval to add Nokia Corporation and Encounter Church to the list of organizations permitted use of facilities.


4. Recommended acceptance of the following donations:


$5,000 from the Shinnyo-en Foundation to establish the Mayor Joseph Delfino Community Service Scholarships $1,000 from the Bronzo Group of Wachovia Securities for their Scholarship Award


$1,000 from 15 donors to establish the Charlie Jenkins Scholarship Award $1,000 from over 30 donors to establish the Pasquale Evangelista Scholarship Fund


5. Recommended approval of the appointment of Physicians, Physician Assistants and Nurses for the 2008 Summer School.


6. Recommended approval of consultant agreements with:


a. George Hagans Consulting, to serve as a Hearing Officer and provide other services, for the amount of $60,030


b. Donna Klein & Associates, for Occupational Therapy Evaluations and Services, for an amount not to exceed $300,000


c. Blythedale Children’s Hospital, for Occupational and Physical Therapy Evaluations and Services, for an amount not to exceed $150,000


d. MBF Investigative Services, for residency investigations/surveillance and other special assignments, for an amount not to exceed $60,000


e. Children’s Literacy Initiative for 2008-09, for the amount of $252,374


7. Recommended approval to arrange for the appropriate program and services for students with disabilities, as recommended by the Committee on Special Education: 157 cases, as per attachment.


8. Recommended approval to arrange for the appropriate program and services for students with disabilities, as recommended by the Committee on Preschool Special Education: 52 cases, as per attachment.


9. Recommended approval to appoint Chairpersons and Parent Representatives for Special Education Committees and Subcommittees for the period of 7/1/08-6/26/09, as per attachment.


10. Recommended approval that all employees previously granted a conditional appointment and who have not received conditional clearance from the State Education Department be granted another conditional appointment for 20 days. Civil Service Staffing:


11. Recommended acceptance of the resignation for the purpose of retirement of Geraldine Bellantoni, Media Aide, Education House, effective 7/1/08.


12. Recommended acceptance of the resignation of Dreama Donohue, Administrative Assistant, Education House, effective 6/28/08. 


13. Recommended approval of a request to extend the unpaid leave of absence for Yasmine Murana, Office Assistant II-Spanish Speaking, Adult Education, from 6/30/08 to 9/15/08.


14. Recommended approval of a request for an unpaid leave of absence for Lisa Zareski, Treasurer, Education House, effective 7/16/08-9/1/08.


15. Recommended approval of the 26-week probationary appointments of the following:


Patricia Cacsire, Office Assistant I-Spanish Speaking, Adult Education, effective 7/7/08 (from list OC #2007-3) Andrew Vena, Senior Custodian, Church Street, effective 6/6/08 (has been serving provisionally, from list OC #66-380)


Christian Reyes, Senior Custodian, Post Road, effective 6/6/08 (has been serving provisionally, from list OC #66-380)


16. Recommended approval of the provisional appointment of Joseph Paulo, Senior Custodian, George Washington School, effective 7/3/08 (replacing D. Robertin).


17. Recommended approval of the second provisional appointment of Antonio Moronta, Head Custodian, High School, effective 6/6/08.


18. Recommended approval of a resolution to abolish the positions of Media Aide, Education House and High School, effective 9/1/08.


19. Recommended approval of the temporary salary adjustment, as per attachment.


20. Recommended approval of the substitute and summer appointments as per Board approved “Substitute, Summer School and Supplemental Rates,” as per attachment.


21. Recommended approval of the revised “Substitute, Summer School and Supplemental Rates” as per attachment, effective 7/1/08. Teacher Staffing


22. Recommended acceptance of the resignation of the following Teaching Assistants:


Rosanna F. Maiuolo, Church Street School, effective 6/28/08


Elizabeth Marouk-Coe, Newcomer Center, effective 7/2/08


Rachel Martin, Mamaroneck Avenue School, effective 7/1/08 23.


Recommended acceptance of the resignations of: Monica Bermiss, Instructional Specialist, ELA K-5, Districtwide , effective 7/2/08


Maria Zenon-Park, ESOL Teacher, George Washington School, effective 8/31/08 24.


Recommended acceptance of the resignation for the purpose of retirement of Kayreitha Smalls, Adult & Continuing Education Teacher, Rochambeau, effective 8/8/08.


25. Recommended approval of requests for childcare leaves for: Melissa Staar, Science Teacher, Middle School-Highlands, effective 9/1/08-9/30/08 Maribeth Milkowski, ESOL teacher, Middle School-Highlands & High School, effective 9/11/08-11/10/08


26. Recommended approval of an extension of the childcare leave for Amy Frishman-Amir, Elementary Education Teacher, Ridgeway School, effective 7/1/08-6/30/09.


27. Recommended approval of the appointment of 2008 Summer School staff for the New York Presbyterian Hospital Program, at the agreed rate of pay, as per attachments.


28. Recommended approval to rescind and appoint 2008 Summer School Staff, as per attachment.


29. Recommended approval of the appointment* of district-wide per diem substitute teachers, as per attachment.


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


a. 2008 Summer School Curriculum Writing


 b. 2008 Summer School CPSE and CSE meeting preparation


 c. 2008-09 Professional Development Stipends d. 2008-09 Resource Specialists as Chairpersons


e. 2007-08 WISE Mentors


f. 2007-08 stipends for trips abroad


g. 2008-09 Technology Trainers, Computer Lead Teachers, Subsite Directors


h. 2008 Summer School Technology positions


i. 2008-09 Family Literacy K-PASS positions


31. Recommended approval of the Part-time appointment of:


Lauren Stipo* (Replacing J. Palkaunieks) BA – Adelphi University (Political Science) MBA – Pace University (Management) Certificate: Pace University (Secondary Education) Certification: Initial, Business & Marketing & Social Studies 7-12 Assignment: Business Education Teacher, High School, 80% of full time Dates of Service: 8/31/08-6/30/09


32. Recommended approval of the Regular Substitute appointments of: Valerie Browne* (Replacing S. Pak, reassigned) BA – Manhattanville College (English and Education) Certification: ELA 5-12 Assignment: Grade 6 ELA Teacher, Middle School-Eastview Dates of Service: 8/31/08-6/30/09


Sara Natlo (Replacing A. Pedulla) BS – SUNY/Oswego (Elementary Education) M. Ed. – University of Maryland/College Park (Curriculum & Instruction/TESOL) Certification: Initial, Childhood Education 1-6 and ESOL Assignment: Elementary Education Teacher, Ridgeway School Dates of Service: 8/31/08-6/30/09


Eileen Murphy (Re-appointment) BS – Long Island University (Public Accounting) MA – College of New Rochelle (Early Childhood Education) Certification: Permanent, Elementary Education N-6 with Gifted/Talented extension Assignment: Elementary Education Teacher, PreKindergarten Program Dates of Service: 8/31/08-6/30/09


 Ann Baker (Replacing L. Green) BA – Goucher College (Economics) MAT – Manhattanville College (Elementary Education) Certification: Permanent, Elementary Education N-6 Tenure Area: Elementary Education Assignment: Elementary Education Teacher, Church Street School Dates of Service: 8/31/08-2/1/09 33.


Recommended approval of the Probationary appointments of: Karen Jordan* (Replacing K. Kushnir) BS – Long Island University/CW Post College (Special Education) MS – CCNY/CUNY (Special Education) Certificate – SUNY/New Paltz (School Leadership) Certification: Permanent, Special Education, Professional, SDL & SBL Tenure Area: Special Education Assignment: Chairperson Special Education, Districtwide Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/10


Carolyn Chapman (Replacing L. McKenzie) BS – Marymount College (Special Education) MSE – College of New Rochelle (Reading Education) Certification: Permanent, Reading, Elementary Education N-6 and Special Education K-12 Tenure Area: Reading Assignment: Reading Teacher, Middle School-Highlands Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/10


Elizabeth Galvin* (Replacing C. Gruder) BA – Manhattan College (Elementary Education) MA – Lehman College (English) Certification: Permanent, Elementary Education N-6 & Professional, ELA 7-12 Tenure Area: Elementary Education Assignment: ELA Grade 6 Teacher, Middle School-Highlands Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/10


Tara Simmons-Crawford (Replacing A. Williams, reassigned) BA – Mt. St. Mary College (Mathematics) Certification: Initial, Mathematics 7-12 Tenure Area: Mathematics Assignment: Mathematics Teacher, Middle School-Highlands Probationary Period: 8/31/08-1/30/11


Maria Csikortos* (Replacing L. Lyman) BA – John Jay College (Forensic Psychology) MS Ed – St. John’s University (School Counselor w/ Bilingual Extension) Certification: Permanent, School Counselor Tenure Area: School Counselor Assignment: School Counselor, High School Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/11


Ryan Fischer* (Replacing E. Farrell) BS – St. Thomas Aquinas College (Recreation and Sports Management) MA – Manhattanville College (Physical Education and Sports Pedagogy) Certification: Initial, Physical Education Tenure Area: Physical Education Assignment: Physical Education Teacher, Districtwide Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/11


Catherine Sheldon-Dagher (Replacing M. Steinberg) BA – Santa Monica College/UCLA (Political Science) MBA – Thunderbird School of Global Management (International Business) MPS – Manhattanville College (Education) Certification: Initial, Students with Disabilities, 5-12 & Social Studies 5-12 Tenure Area: Special Education Assignment: Special Education Teacher, New York Presbyterian Hospital Program Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/11


Libna Diaz* (New position) BA – SUNY/Purchase (Biology) MA – Long Island University (Bilingual Education PK-12) Certification: Provisional, Biology 7-12 Tenure Area: Science Assignment: Science Teacher, High School Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/11


Sissi Johnson* (Replacing R. Vincent) BA – Hampton University (Psychology) M.Ed. – Claremont Graduate University (Teaching) Certification: Initial, Biology 7-12 Tenure Area: Science Assignment: Science Teacher, Middle School-Highlands Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/11


Thomas Hauser (Replacing G. Kressin) BA – SUNY/Purchase (Graphic & Package Design) Certification: Initial (pending), Technology Tenure Area: Technology Assignment: Technology Teacher, Middle School-Highlands Probationary Period: 8/31/08-8/30/1


 *All of these appointments are conditional appointments, subject to and contingent upon, the satisfactory completion of the finger printing process and investigatory background check required by the New York State Education Law. The Board of Education reserves the right to rescind these appointments without notice, upon receipt of any unsatisfactory report resulting from the aforementioned background check.


VI. Other Action:


1. Recommended approval of the extension of the probationary period for Jodi Nestle, Elementary Assistant Principal, Post Road School, effective 7/31/08-7/31/09.


 2. Recommended approval to abolish the position of Director, Newcomer Center and Coordinator of ESOL K-5, effective 6/30/08.


3. Recommended approval to create the position of Director of ELL Programming K-12, District-wide, effective 7/1/08.


4. Recommended acceptance of the Treasurer’s Report for the month of May, 2008.


5. Bids and contracts: Athletic Training Supplies, Athletic Uniform Reconditioning, Project Management for Computer Projector/Whiteboards, Asbestos Abatement at Post Road School, Elevator Maintenance and Testing


6. Recommended approval to authorize Michael Lynch to sign Westchester County and City of White Plains permit applications for backflow prevention systems for district properties.


7. Recommended approval of the purchase of Infinite Campus, a new student information system.


 VII. Board Discussion: 1. Board Committee Reports

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