WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 16,2009: Board of Education Member Peter Bassano reported to WPCNR today the Board of Education will “remain consistent in all of our contracts,” indicating  that when the Adminstrators and Supervisors Association contract expires in June 2010, they expect to address a scaling back the same as they are attempting to negotiate with the White Plains Teachers Association. The Civil Service Employees Association contract expires this June, and that will also be on the table for addressing.

 

 WPCNR asked Bassano if the district had asked administrators and supervisors to scale back voluntarily the raises and step increases…some exceeding $10,000. Bassano said the Board had not because they were guaranteed by contract. “They could sue us,” he said.

 

Bassano in a letter to WPCNR received today via E-Mail confirmed that the WPCNR analysis of Administrator and Supervisor pay was correct, but the salaries of the four Assistant Superintendents appearing in the Proposed 2009-Budget Book were incorrect, that the  4 Assistant Superintendents  who make up the Superintendent’s Cabinet of Assistant Superintendents for  Business,  Curriculum and Instruction, Human Resources, and Pupil Services had their salaries “frozen” at 2008-09 (the present year, concluding June 30) levels.

 

Bassano explained to WPCNR  that the Assistant Superintendents were given 5%,3%,3%,and 3% raises in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, 2008-2009, (even though the 2008-09 Proposed Budget Book lists three of the four Assistant Superintendents as receiving cuts in 2008-2009). Bassano confirmed to WPCNR the present salaries of the four Assistant Superintendents in the 09-10 budget were correct.

 

He said they were not increases from 2008-09 salaries (since the increases passed after the 08-09 budget, and not appearing in that published budget,  were approved and started to be paid  in the fall of 2008.)

 

Bassano said  since the Assistant Superintendents would not be receiving any increase in the fall of 2009, that in effect, their wages were “frozen.”

 

Mr Bassano issued this statement to WPCNR by e-mail Saturday morning:

Your article on administrator raises is generally correct and indeed
reflects hefty raises for many of the district’s administrators.  Let me
clarify a few matters for your readers.

These raises are remnants of an existing contract with administrators
which will expire next year.  This contract was negotiated a few years ago
during much better times, long before the current economic decline.   As
you pointed out, these raises also included automatic step and lane
increases just like under the teachers’ contract.   You should also note
that the salary schedule also shows reductions in pay for several
administrative positions.

The proposed budget that we distributed listed the wrong salaries for the
assistant superintendents.  The four assistant superintendents and all
non-union managerial and confidential administrators and employees in the
district will receive no salary increases at all next year.  Those salary
freezes are accurately reflected in the budget numbers but the printed
addendum was never changed to reflect this.

The bottom line however is that our district pays its educators very well
and has always done so.  Taxpayers are now facing unprecedented economic
pressures and every educator in this school district should understand
that such salary increases are simply no longer possible.

In the 2008-09 Proposed School Budget, the salaries listed for the Assistant Superintendents were:  Business, $171,600;Curriculum & Instruction, $165,505;Human Resources, $174,332; Pupil Services, $164,800.

 In the Proposed 2009-2010 Budget, the salaries listed, reportedly incorrectly for the Assistant Superintendents are: Business, $180,180; Curriculum & Instruction,$169,744; Human Resources, $179,562; Pupil Services, $170,470.  Salaries of Assistant Superintendents would appear to have been raised after the printed Proposed 2008-09 Budget was distributed last year, and after the 2008-09 Budget was passed.

Mr. Bassano said he had no idea how the error had occurred, learning about the Assistant Superintendents salaries first in The CitizeNetReporter story published Friday morning. He said it must have been an accounting error.

Later Saturday, after WPCNR had confirmed the Assistant Superintendent increases having been granted in the fall of 08, Mr. Bassano confirmed the 2009-2010 Assistant Superintendent salaries in the budget book were correct, but technically not increases.

Administrator Increases.

For the record on the Administrator salary increases to clarify: there were 6 reductions in pay for 38 Administrative positions the salaries of whom are reportedly correctly according to Mr. Bassano, (presumably new hires in the 2009-10 Proposed budget),  and there 32  administrators receiving increases.

Mr. Bassano confirmed to WPCNR that there were about 20 “Managerial and Confidential Employees” who were participating in the wage freeze. None of these twenty were included on page 82 of the Proposed Budget, which lists the salaries of 38 Administrator positions. Bassano told WPCNR Saturday the raises were as a matter of contract.

Teacher Union President Remembers 

Kerry Broderick, President of the White Plains Teachers Association, which is now in bitter, protracted mediations, supervised by the New York State Public Employers Relations Board (PERB),  that have entered the “fact-finding” stage),  told WPCNR she was aware of the “hefty” Supervisor increases.

However, she said it was her recollection the Assistant Superintendents had received increases with the Managerial and Confidential employees last fall.

Terrance McGuire and Charles Norris of the Board of Education, speaking to WPCNR Saturday said they could not remember whether Assistant Superintendents had had their salaries increased the since the start of the 2008-09 fiscal year. They said the Assistant Superintendents had had their salaries frozen at the end of June 2008.

The Record

In the  2008-09 proposed budget passed last spring (currently in its last quarter), salaries for only one of the Assistant Superintendents was raised from 2007-2008 by about 1%, and the other positions received  reductions in salary. 

 

According to the 2008-2009 budget, the Assistant Superintendent for Business was raised from $170,462 to $171,600 this year(1%); the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction position was decreased from $166,003 to $165,505; the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources salary was lowered from $174,856 to $174,332; the Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services was cut from $165,296 to $164,800.

 

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. May 14,2009: The Educational Public Access Channel announced days and times of its video tape of the League of Women Voters Public Forum held Tuesday night. The first telecast will be Friday evening at 8 P.M. on Cablevision Channel 77, and Verizon FIOS Channel 46, (right after White Plains Week, showing at 7:30, the city news roundup show — public access channel’s best  lead-in), just switch the channel to 77 or 46.

School Board Candidates’ Public Forum  For the Record  begins Friday at 8 on Educational Channels.  (L to R), Peter Bassano, Jim Hricay, Reynolds Longfield, Donna McLaughlin without Augostino Zicca, Jr. and Elsie Lahrmann, (empty seats) who declined to participate, according to Mr. Zicca, on advice of his legal counsel due to an inflammatory letter circulated by leaders of the White Plains Democratic Party.

That letter urged Democrats to turn out and ask pointed questions of the two. The letter also portrayed Mr. Zicca as being anti-immigrant, which Zicca told WPCNR was “slanderous.”  Zicca told WPCNR, “we thought they were going to ambush us, and we would not get an oppotunity to get our message out.”The series of Forum telecasts of the replay featuring the four candidates who appeared will be televised Friday at 8

Viewers on Educational Access Channels 77 (Cablevision) and Channel 46 (Verizon) can view all the action in Tuesday evening’s League of Women Voters Public Forum beginning at 8 P.M. Friday night. The show will also be telecast Saturday at 12:15 and 4 P.M.; Sunday at 9 AM, 3:15 P.M. and 7 P.M.; Monday, at 12 P.M., 3 P.M, 5:15 P.M., 8 P.M. and 10 P.M., and on the election day itself, Tuesday at 9 A.M., 12 P.M. and 3 P.M.

The letter Zicca and Lahrman in a news release refers to, reads:

 The Text of the Democratic Leader Letter, obtained by the CitizeNetReporter reads:

Hello friends and fellow Democrats:

As you probably already know, Augie Zicca has filed

as a candidate for WP School Board this  year.  

Zicca, however, is not the only Republican stalwart 

running this year. 

  He is joined by Elsie Lahrman, who is a regular 

contributor to Republican causes 

and who gave Zicca $300 for his 2007 campaign.  

    Ms. Lahrmann, it should be noted, has never

(to my knowledge) had a child in the White Plains schools

 nor has  she been involved with any

school-oriented activity that she can identify or 

 that anyone I know is aware of. 

  At the candidates’ interviews at the Journal News today,(last week) 

Zicca also acknowledged not having any involvement with

 school activities (although I believe his daughter did  

attend school here). Both candidates stated today that 

they would be voting no on the school budget this year.

       Zicca, as you can imagine, has showed the same

 disregard for facts in his recent campaign for School Board 

as he did in 2007.     

       For instance, he made several claims regarding a statue (spelling incorrect)

around tax certiorari which turned out to be completely false, 

and after being told so by school officials and attorneys only now 

is acknowledging that he was wrong.

       He has also claimed to support a 0% tax increase (despite falling

property valuations) and that this should be funded by cutting administration

and not  staff positions. Some simple math shows that this is infeasible.

        What is unfortunate this year is that the WP Teachers

Association, which is seeking a new contract, has chosen to endorse 

 Zicca, Lahrmann and a third candidate, James Hricay, in order to 

‘send a message to the Board incumbents about their contract demands.  

        Unfortunately many of their (teacher) members seem

 to be unaware of who Zicca and Lahrmann really are and don’t know anything

about Zicca’s positions in the 2007 election, including his stated wish to

 sic the Immigration authorities on our neighbors with problematic

 immigration status, which would presumably mean them

 and their children who attend WP schools facing deportation.

 What I am asking of you is: 

 *support Board incumbents Donna McGlothlin and Peter

Bassano in this year’s election, along with new candidate Reynolds

Longfield, a community-minded person with a child in the high school 

who will work for  the benefit of the children, not his personal agenda

*support the school budget, which has the lowest

 expense increase (actually a small  decrease if you take out debt

 service) in over 225 years and whcih was  prudently crafted by he Board.

BTW, if the budget fails and the District has to go to

 contingency budget, by statute all groups using the school facilities

 will have to pay full price for their use.   

A Little Leaguer may have to pay as much as $100 more to play  baseball.

 * come to the candidates forum Tuesday 5/12 at the High School and have

pertinent questions ready for Zicca and  Lahrmann

*spread the word about the current issues,

particularly if  you know any teachers in the District who may not know 

about Zicca and his  friends. help offset the cost of a mailing in support 

of the candidates and the  budget (contact me directly if you are interested)

 *above all, come out to vote on Tueday, 5/29 from noon

 to  9 p.m.

 Remember that there are a limited number of voting

 places  and you may not be voting in the same spot for the general election.  

 Absentee ballots are available from the District office for those who 

 can’t make the polls that day.

thanks to all for taking the time to read this.   

After 5/19 I look forward to working with all of  you to

march to victory in November. 

RESPONSE — ZICCA AND LAHRMANN NEWS RELEASE SENT TO LEAGUE

In response, upon becoming aware of the mass circulation of this e-mail letter among district leaders in the Democratic Party last week, Zicca and Lahrmann sent this e-mailed press release to the League of Women Voters notifying them they would not attend the forum.

Mr. Zicca said he and Lahrmann did not telephone the League informing them of their decison to withdraw from the forum due to the “poisened atmosphere.” As a result, the League moderator did not read the news release as requested, and did not announce why Zicca and Lahrmann were not present, as requested in the news release. Apparently no one monitors the League of Women Voters e-mail in the afternoon of a public forum.

The Zicca-Lahrmann News Release:

Elsie J. Lahrmann

Augie Zicca Jr.

For White Plains School Board

changewp@gmail.com

 

May 12, 2009

 

Press Release via Email:

 

We authorize and request the media and the League of Women Voters to read and or print for the record the following statement.

In the past few days we, (Mr. Augie Zicca Jr. and Elsie J. Lahrmann), have been privy to a hateful and libelous email. The inflammatory missive is presently being requested to be circulated throughout the (White Plains Democrat) community.  This vicious email has personally attacked the integrity and real purpose of our campaigns for the School Board of the City of White Plains.

These emails are filled with untruths which hold no validity and attack the political information about us.  We believe our political registrations should not influence or be a subject in a School Board election.  We believe partisan political party politics and the education of White Plains school children are clearly two separate subjects.

           

We will not participate in tonight’s debate due to the political overtones threatened by the emails circulating. We will be notifying the press when a non-partisan debate and forum can be arranged.

             

Candidates for White Plains School Board

 

Augie Zicca Jr.

 

 

Elsie J. Lahrmann

 

 

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld. May 13,2009:   In accordance with a new policy adopted on May 11, 2009, the White Plains Board of  Education is seeking up to two community members to add to its Finance/Audit Committee, to assist in providing financial oversight for the district.

 

            The committee, which also includes three Board of Education members, meets once a month during the school year, from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M., at Education House.  Membership will be  for one year, from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. 

 

Individuals who wish to apply should have accounting or auditing experience and should send a letter of application, citing qualifications, to the District Clerk, 5 Homeside Lane, 10605.   Letters must be received by June 15^th and interviews will be conducted by the current committee.  The Board expects to make the appointments at its Regular Meeting in July.

 

            Education Law stipulates that committee members shall not be employees of the District,or have provided goods or services to the district within the last two years, or have a direct  interest or be related to a principal in any company providing goods or services to the district.

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WPCNR NEWS COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. May 12, 2009: Well tonight the White Plains citizen has the choice of two interesting “Infotainments” being staged by the League of Women Voters and the White Plains Common Council.

 

At the White Plains High School, at 7:30 P.M., the League introduces the six candidates for the Board of Education seats of three years each, asking them a series of general questions that tell the interested parties very little about what the candidates bring to the table. 

 

Of the handful of persons speaking at last night’s Public Hearing on the School Budget – none  was a candidate for the school Board. How preposterous was that? How serious are these candidates? If you’re the challenger you have to make some comments. Bad job, candidates.

 

Perhaps the League of Women Voters might depart from the usual hanging curve balls they ask these candidates. The six candidates are incumbents Peter Bassano and Donna McLaughlin, and 4 challengers, Jim Hricky, Elsie Lahmarr, Reynolds Longfield (who was at last night’s hearing, but who did not speak), and Augie Zicca, Jr.

 

So, if you’re reading League of Women Voters, here are some questions:

 

 

1. If  the assessment roll declines drastically ($10 Million), how would you as a Board Member proceed with next year’s budget?  Demand spending deaccerlation from July 1 in anticipation? What is your doomsday plan, because the assessments are going to drop in free fall this year. Prices are down and getting downer. Companies are not making money in the city. Look for an onslaught of certs. What would you do?
   
2. Will you cut staff realistically, by not replacing personnel who retire with lower salaried replacements?
   
3. What austerity measures will you put in place in the district, beginning in July?
   
4. Will you tear down the Old Post Road School? (It still stands, you could save it or sell it — for school district offices, another school possibly – or as an asset for the rising birth rate.)
   
5. Will you push newly hired technology persons (strangely silent for the last 8 months), for detailed longitudinal studies of all classes before the next School Budget. (The reporting of school district results has lagged, without detail for years, despite one software package or glitch after another. It is a disgrace. The WPHS high school students could do a better job.)
   
6. Will you make results and objectives of the strategic plan understandable and clear to the general public, stripped of their academic gobble-de-gook?
   
7. Will you get a definitive answer as to whether class size can be increased without affecting performance? (One of the great myths)
   
8. Will you support hiring more dual language teachers (Spanish and English)?
   
9. What will you do to improve the performance gap between whites and Hispanics and African-Americans? Where do you stand on this issue?
   
10. Will you rent the Loucks and Parker articifical turf stadia for revenue?
    
11. What is your solution to the Salary Benefits debate now being played out in the teacher negotiations? 

 

If the League of Women Voters does not ask questions like this, and I suspicion they will not, they are not paying attention. See if they do.

 

 

On the other side of town beginning a little earlier at 6 PM at crumbling city hall,(he moving vans are underway early for the Delfino Administration), is the Common Council is going to give us their take on how to cut the city budget – obviously making the decision a little earlier than the usual May 27….obviously everybody needs to get away for the Memorial Day Weekend.  Council President Benjamin Boykin and Councilman Dennis Power said they’d cut the budget –looking for $4 Million in cuts.

 

Perhaps they will will grab the set-aside hold-back in spending already proposed by the Acting Budget Director David Birdsall whom they rejected months ago. That would be one way to do it. Birdsall had suggested holding back some spending towards the end of the year. The council could just grab it. The council is also faced with the union contracts that they have allowed to go to binding arbitration (outside the auspices of the New York State Public Employees Relations Board), to the city’s peril, which if they are slapped with a 3 per center for the next two years — creates a massive deficit next year — with another contract to be negotiated next year.

 

Anyway, the council better cross their fingers and hope the economy turns up locally because the assessments will not.

 

They could run the same budget by just increasing the property tax 30% — and cutting taxes next year – if the economy turns around. But they do not have the guts to do that. They will let the newly nominated Adam Bradley have that pleasure. The assessments, unless the business community shows some patriotism (by not filing certioraris or withdrawing ones already filed), the city’s $5 Million drop in assessments this year will look very good.

 

Both the Board of Education and the City Government will be into your pockets big time next year due to the sad, sorry, timid and unprofessional analysis by the Board of Education and the Common Council,  of both budgets.

 

Either way, if you like “Infotainment” without content, attend either of these meetings. See your government and democracy – uninformed democracy in action.

 

And the fault is with us.We do not demand better. We much prefer pleasant, sanctimonious sugarcoated earnest “this is so difficult, these are extraordinary times,” excuses  than the blunt truth.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. May 11, 2009 UPDATED WITH MTA TAX REIMBURSEMENT CLARIFICATION FROM STATE, 12:55 P.M. UPDATED BY STATE, 3:10 P.M.: Superintendent of  Schools Timothy Connors, speaking in an exclusive WHITE PLAINS WEEK “Special Report” this week said he would have a final tally  tonight on the number of  positions the district would retain based on how many administrators and  service personnel eligible for retirement,  took the district’s one time offers of $25,000 and $10,000 “buyouts” in exchange for accumulated sick days.

 

Connors said thanks to retirements, attrition only 2.5 teachers would lose their jobs, and at this time only 11 Teaching Assistants (down from 24) would be cut with final tally due tonight.

 

The Superintendent said holding this year’s budget increase to 3/4 of a percent put the Board and the incoming Superintendent in good position if next year’s Contingency Budget increase is 0%, which is quite possible, in his opinion.

 

 

Breakfast with Tim Connors: Special Report: Tim Connors on WHITE PLAINS WEEK this morning at 8. The WPW Special Report may be seen at 8 AM all this week on the local cable access channels and worldwide, any time, on www.whiteplainsweek.com

 

He made the remarks on a Special Report Edition of White Plains Week dealing exclusively with the School Budget which can be seen all this week at 8 A.M. on Cablevision Channel 76 and Verizon FIOS Channel 45. It may also be viewed  any time, 24 hours a day right now at www.whiteplainsweek.com. Just click on “SPECIAL REPORT” with Windows Media Player

 

Here are the highlights:

 

 

In a wide range of topics, the Superintendent said the district decided not to cut the budget any farther, because further cuts would impact class size and the programs the district is accustomed to, but the budget prepares the district for an expecting low threshold of “contingency budget” next year.

 

Final $15 Million Infrastructure Improvements Necessary to get $6 Million in State Reimbursement

 

He said that the district decided to go ahead with completing the infrastructure improvements to schools using $15 Million more in borrowing this year, because otherwise the district would lose some $6 Million in state reimbursement for construction which would be paid for at the end of the project, meaning in essence the district is paying $15 Million plus interest to get back $6.6  Million from the state (in essence paying for the high school  Loucks Field artificial turf and stand renovation).

 

 

District can handle increasing birth rate. 

 

The Superintendent said that even though the birth rate in the city is growing,  that the new Post Road School could absorb increases at the elementary level, and that middle school and high school enrollments were expected to decrease. He said the city would not see a 1,000 student increase “for a long time.”

 

He said Highlands and Eastview Schools, despite being 70 years old would not need replacing in the years ahead, but Highlands would need replacement of science labs and windows.

 

How MTA Payroll Tax Reimbursement Happens Not Clear. 

 

Connors said that even though the state-enacted MTA Payroll Tax was said by the Governor’s Office will be reimbursed to the school districts, the district is still forced to collect it, and the state has not given the districts an indication how that money will be reimbursed, so the district is keeping it in the budget. He said the district has to collect it, how they get it back is not clear.  Connors said. “We’re wating for the state to tell us exactly what it (reimbursement) means.”

 

 

State Senator Vincent Leibell of  Brewster pointed out the lack of clarity as to how school districts would be paid back in a news conference Friday.  A call has been placed to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance by WPCNR, asking for clarification on how the money being collected on the MTA tax will be reimbursed, whether it will be given in the form of more state aid.

 

Susan Burns, with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Press Office, told WPCNR Monday afternoon, that according to Part B of legislation S-5451, enacting the MTA Payroll Tax Bill, the text of which is not apparently available yet on the New York State Senate website, “the School Districts will be reimbursed commencing in June for MTA Payroll taxes paid from September 1, 2009 through April 30, 2010 and will be reimbursed for that sum in June, 2010.” Ms. Burns added that Governor David Paterson has promised to make an appropriation covering the reimbursement in the 2010-2011 state budget. Ms. Burns confirmed at 3:10 Monday afternoon  the MTA Payroll tax payments school districts collect for the state will BEGIN  to be collected September 1, 2009.  She said businesses, though must collect the tax retroactive to March 1,2009.

 

The Bill Enacted may be read at http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=S05451&sh=t

 

Class Size Drives Budget

 

Connors said in defense of the school district refusing to cut more from the budget than they did allowing the incoming new Superintendent leeway in raising the budget next year,  that the City of White Plains community has always felt small class size was important, and to lower budget farther would compromise that, and that was why the budget was not lowered.  The budget in fact has increased slightly, 3/4 of 1%. 

 

Asked why positions weren’t simply not filled, Connors said that through the  community forums and talks with the community, the city was reluctant to increase class size and to leave positions vacant would require increases in class size, and “the board is not committed to do that.”

 

The Superintendent said that an improvement in the economy would help the school budget as well as a leveling off of certiorari settlements.

 

Predicts possible 0% Increase Allowed in Contingency Budget Allowed Next Year.

 

Connors commented about the situation newly hired Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet will face: “The steps taken here  (on the 2009-10 Budget) have been proactive and(the Board) made tough decisions that will enable him to move forward. The Contingency Budget next year could be a zero increase,  (and with a .75% increase this year), enable the Board and the new superintendent to make decisions (for 2010-11) that are educationally and fiscally sound.”

 

More Data on performance to come.

 

Asked if the additions of a new Manager of Data Processing and a second highly paid data executive last August would result in same-year reporting of district achievement results, Connors was noncommittal, saying report cards came from the state and they were two years behind. He said the district was in the process of implementing new software enabling the district to use the “Infinite Campus” program for performance reporting. Connors said it would be in place next fall and  “help us deliver more data across all aspects.”

 

 

For the last eight years, the Board of Education has complained about the district inability to report longitudinal studies of the grades, following their performance through each year. The district has demonstrated how each grade in a particular level performs annually but has never published clear indications of how one group of students performs year to year, though this can be done quite simply by using state statistics which the district has not done.

 

Middle School Scores Up

 

Connors pointed out the rise in achievement test scores in the White Plains Middle Schools hitting the 80% mark up from 50% a few years ago, crediting emphasis on the elementary school curriculum.

 

Hopes for Settlement of Teachers Contract by July 1

 

The Superintendent was optimistic on the Fact-Finding process now under way with the White Plains Teachers Association. He said every time the two sides talk they get closer together.

 

Asked why the district has already budgeted for an increase of about 3% for 09-10, why the contract had not been settled, the Superintendent said the settlement has been allowed for, and the contract would be negotiated so as not to exceed that.