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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 18, 2009 UPDATED 10:25 (Italics): The proposed $185.8 Million School Budget and six candidates for the White Plains Board of Education go before the White Plains voters Tuesday, with six polling places open from 12 noon to 9 P.M Tuesday.
The Candidates Forum Minus Two. Left to right, Peter Bassano, James Hricay, Reynolds Longfield and Donna McLaughlin.
At the Candidates Forum held at White Plains High School last Tuesday evening, incumbent Board members, Peter Bassano and Donna McLaughlin did not reveal any plans for scaling back the budget further, except for “watching every penny,” with Bassano the more pessimistic of the two incumbents.
Challenger Reynolds Longfield said he would bring a familiarity with data analysis and pragmatic judgment of data that could yield a better picture of what the district needed to do. He also called for compromise with the Teachers Association. Challenger James Hricay touted his knowledge of municipal budgets in both White Plains and Stamford as enabling him to suggest and work for better budget practices.
Timothy Connors, opening the forum, said the current budget was the lowest year-to-year increase in the history of the school district. He said the district would continue to be pressured by certiorari tax refunds until the state legislature called for a “reval” of residential real estate. Donna McLaughlin, one of the two incumbents running agreed saying until the legislature passed two separate equalization rates for business and residential properties, assessment decline would continue to plague the district.
Augostino Zicca, Jr., left, and Elsie Lahrmann issue statements (shown at recent Gedney Farms Association Meeting) last week.
Augostino Zicca Jr. and Dr. Elsie Lahrmann, who boycotted the debate on advice of their lawyers, due to what they described as a racist Democratic Party e-mail campaign against them, issued statements to the media Sunday on their positions, which WPCNR includes in this report, based on a video tape of the forum that was conducted opposite a Common Council meeting.
Incumbents Tout Experience, Continued “Prudence.”
Bassano said he expected matters to be considerably worse in developing the 2010-11 budget. McLaughlin said she expected no major changes being brought to the district in his first year by incoming Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Christopher Clouet. She said she expected that he would observe and learn his first year.
McLaughlin maintained that the present board cut the budget to a .74% increase this year to prepare for the challenges next year. She also said she expected the district to continue “what we’ve been doing.”She said she expected that Dr. Clouet would be able to attract grants to the district for programs to ease the financial pressures – a talent that brought New London $95 Million in grants for a magnet school. She also said he brought great communications skills to the district.
In her opening and closing statements, McLaughlin said during her time on the Board, the Board had developed All-Day Kindergarten in the district, built the new Post Road School and renovated Mamaroneck Avenue School, renovated two football stadiums with new stands and artificial surfaces, and planned needed infrastructure improvements. (The district has just issued bonds for the final $16 Million in district building infrastructure improvements, which will secure a $6 Million reimbursement from the state on the $66 Million in financing spent on those capital projects). She also said during her time on the board dual language kindergarten was begun in George Washington School,and in a bit of news, said a similar dual language program would begin at new Post Road School next September.
(During those12 years, though, it should be noted the school budget doubled from $92.6 Million in 1996-97 to $185.8 Million should the district pass the budget tomorrow. She said her twelve years of experience and knowledge of the board, was an asset navigating the district through this tough time. Mr. Bassano and Ms. McLaughlin also approved the present administrator and previous teacher contracts.
Peter Bassano, describing himself as the lead negotiator with the teachers, said the teachers union contract continued to be hung up on the amount of a merit raise for this year and next, even though, he said, 70% of the teachers had gotten a 2-1/2% raise based on longevity, and others had received increases based on any progress in achieving new academic degrees.
He said the economy was “unfair,” noting that the 4 Assistant Superintendents in the district were under a wage freeze, (neglecting to mention that those 4 Assistant Superintendents were voted salary increases 7 months ago of 5%, 3%, 3% and 3% by the Board of Education). Bassano expressed disappointment in the leadership of the White Plains Teachers Association in refusing to compromise on the merit increases, saying the union stance was “detrimental to the children of the district, detrimental to the teachers.” He also claimed he and McLaughlin were the targets of a “jihad” against them by the Teachers Union, including drive-by heckling of Mr. Bassano when he was mowing his lawn. Mr. Bassano did not elaborate.
Bassano reported that the additional languages beginning in sixth grade at the Highlands next fall was done without costing a penny more in the budget. It was done by going to a nine period day and transfering one teacher.
According to White Plains Teachers Union President, Kerry Broderick, the district had to offer the same language courses at Highlands as they did at Eastview in the sixth grade, and this was a necessity not voluntary enhancement.
Longfield: Compromise with Teachers a Must.
Longfield said repeatedly that the district had to work with the teachers to “compromise” without offering bargaining chips or suggestions. He said the district and all parties in the district had to work together. Longfield noted that Hricay (being married to a teacher in the White Plains School District) would have to recuse himself from any voting on teacher contracts, limiting his ability to affect change.
McLaughlin: More Data; Sharper Evaluation of Programs.
McLaughlin said her goals were to evaluate programs more closely, justifying the performance of each program going forward, and also said better data was another key objective. This has been a repeated complaint of Ms. McLaughlin the last four years with each year the administration making excuses to the School Board for not having longitudinal data on specific classes over the years. First the incompatibility of data in the district was the issue. The next year there was an inputting problem. Two years ago BOCES was going to do it, but apparently overpromised. Now the district has gone to another software system, Infinite Campus. Perhaps this will change now that a new Manager of Information Processing, hired at $150,000 last August is at the helm, who has yet to make any public report on data progress. The third new software package (Infinite Campus) costing $300,000 is being installed districtwide and should be in use by the end of next year, according to the outgoing Superintendent.
Challenger James Hricay in closing statements said he expected the public sector (i.e, the school district) to suffer next year even if the economy recovers because the economic pressures always affect the public sector last. Hricay said he would work in consort with the Board and not against them.
Reynolds Longfield III, the other challenger, said his experience in analyzing data and developing data reporting techniques in his position as developing and then heading the social studies department in a New York City school, would be an asset in analyzing and critiquing what data is presented the district on its performance in the year ahead.
McLaughlin and Bassano repeated Assistant Superintendent of Business Fred Seiler’s warning that the district contribution to the retirement fund for teachers would go up substantially next year injecting an advance pressure on the budget.
Zicca and Lahrmann State Positions
Augostino Zicca,Jr. one of the school board candidates did not appear at the Board of Education Candidates Forum, protesting the way leaders of the Democratic Party had urged Democrats to vote against him in a Democrat canvas e-mail last week. Zicca accused the Democrats of implying he was racist by criticsing his past suggestions to tackle the dangerous illegal housing conditions in which illegals and legal immigrants live in this city.
Zicca and Dr. Elsie Lahrmann sent these letters to the media stating what they intend to do as a member of the Board of Education:
Letter to Editor,
I am a candidate for the White Plains School Board. Born and raised in White Plains, I attended the Battle Hill School and I am an alumnus of White Plains High School.
I am a retired IBM business professional with extensive corporate development and global experience, along with being a retired Westchester County Correctional Officer. I was assigned as an officer to the program for our incarcerated youth that allowed them to continue their education while in custody. My years working with this population were rewarding and provided me with experience as a motivational leader for our troubled youth in Westchester County.
As a community leader and Vice President of The Battle Hill Association in the City of White Plains, I identified a situation unknown to the White Plains School District. Due to my advocacy for children and working with many parents in this district, the City of White Plains established a notification system to all residents concerning Sexual Offenders residing in White Plains. Communication and data between the school system and City of White Plains must continue to improve.
Transparency between the community and school board is essential to create an enhanced and welcoming relationship with all residents. It is pertinent that the school board hold meetings in all neighborhoods on a rotating basis to improve relationships and communicate budget issues. As a current member of the Community Block Grant Program for the City of White Plains, I have been able to establish dialogue with our large diverse population.
We must create an independent review board to analyze all financial matters affecting the district, welcoming all neighborhood representation, unlike the current board recommendation limited to two volunteers from the community. We need to improve relations with all unions. Transparency and open dialogue will enhance our children’s education and parental involvement. Increased focus on the challenged youth in the district will provide them with all educational tools necessary to become achieving adults.
A zero base budget system must be recognized and explored to combat the difficult decisions that we may confront in next years budget. The last five years have brought almost a 38% tax increase from an experienced school board.
It is time to revisit all positions, expenses, and revenues in the White Plains School District.
Augie Zicca Jr.
School Board Candidate
Dr. Elsie Lahrmann, who, with Mr. Zicca also declined to appear at the Candidates Forum on advice of her lawyer, who advised Zicca and Lahrmann they were probably walking into an ambush. Also sent this letter to the CitizeNetReporter stating their objectives should they be elected to the Board.
May 16, 2009
Dear Editor:
I am a candidate for the City of White Plains school board. It is necessary for me to tell you who I am and why I will be an asset when I am elected to the board.
I am a lifelong resident of the City of White Plains. On a personal note my wonderful husband George and I will be celebrating our 45th anniversary this year. We have lived in Gedney Farms for thirty six years. I presently serve on the Gedney Board and as the chairman of the public safety committee and have initiated discussions with the City of White Plains to lower the speed limit in neighborhoods. The purpose of doing this is that children should be able to play safely in their yards. On an educational level I have a BS in clinical nutrition and doctorate in naturopathy. I have a practice in natural medicine in the City of White Plains.
On a professional level my twenty five years with the City of White Plains had many accomplishments that I am still proud of. As the emergency planning director my grant writing abilities saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars for a Police Captain and a Fire Lt, who served on may staff in an emergency capacity. I wrote the grant for the City of White Plains with regard to microfilming of municipal records; I also shared these services with the White Plains Board of Education. At the direction of the WP Common Council I acted as administrator for the upgrading of ambulance service to the paramedic response system.
I am still proud today, that this program is working everyday for the citizens of WP. I acted as the Regional Vice President of the Emergency Medical Services Council and served as the Westchester County delegate to that body. I am still proud of the designation of the trauma system and the lives it has saved in the region. I initiated the National Flood Insurance Program for the City of WP and acted as their administrator.
Let’s talk about Board of Education issues. The last five years of 37.4% increases in the school board budget has hurt many homeowners who are now feeling the effects of this economic crisis. We must make hard decisions and negotiations on this budget and it must benefit the taxpayer and represent inclusion and fair representation for all who live and attend our schools. Did this board request a grant written for the improvement of drainage problems as specified in the capital projects report? It would have saved the taxpayer 1 million dollars.
I am therefore presenting a zero based budget system be initiated in the upcoming new year, so that all expenditures can be analyzed with proper solutions. Consolidation of departments must be addressed and staffing patterns must be presented and analyzed (currently not being presented to the public).
I believe that the lack of transparency must come to an end. The finance committee established by the current board should have representatives from each neighborhood in this city, not just two as directed by the board. We must educate all children and all parents must have an equal opportunity to serve this district. As far as the teachers union is concerned the president is a long time family friend. I did volunteer to assist her, and that is what community involvement is about.
Elsie J. Lahrmann
