Last night despite some impending inclement weather, we held our first Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee meeting. We have 21 district residents participating in this process, which is a decrease of three from last year. Of the 21 participants, 14 were returning members. All meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and are televised live on the Guilderland Time Warner Cable, Channel 16.

At our first session, the district’s draft budget for 2007-08 was presented. The total of $82,305,000 represents an increase of $3,330,455 (+4.22%) compared to the 2006-07 budget. The projected tax rate increase is +3.81% for the town of Guilderland (about 93% of the district’s taxpayers). We also briefly reviewed highlights of the 2006-07 school year now in progress, defined the upcoming budget challenge (see below), examined enrollment projections and class size data, presented a general summary of the 2007-08 budget proposal (including areas with significant changes), and summarized revenue estimates for next year. Following last year’s revised format, the presentations have been shortened so that more time is provided for participants to ask questions as part of each session.

2007-08: THE CHALLENGE

• Carefully review class size with particular emphasis in K-5.
• Maintain existing instructional programs at the K-5, middle school and high school levels.
• Introduce the Foreign Language Early Start (FLES) program in K-5.
• Increase emphasis on math / science / technology.
• Maintain program support and community trust.

Our K-12 enrollment for 2007-08 is projected to be 5,353, which is an overall decrease of 72 students compared to the current school year. There is some growth projected at the high school (+25 students). The elementary grades (K-5) are expected to decline by 21 students with the most significant drop being at the middle school (grades 6-8), which will likely have 76 fewer students next year. Our next meetings are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, March 6 and 8 when presentations will focus on professional development as well as the instructional programs at the elementary and middle school levels.

2007-08 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

• Elementary class size K-2: 17.8 / Grades 3-5: 19.4
• Summer Early Intervention Program + $16,250
• 2.0 FTE Spanish teachers for the K-2 FLES program +$120,000
• Middle School - reduction of 5.8 FTE teaching positions (one less 7th grade team + special areas), due to declining enrollment (-$348,000)
• Addition of a math/science enrichment program teacher at FMS +$60,000
• Introduction of a 20-week technology class in grade 6 +$90,000
• High school (enrollment increase of 25) - additional staff of 4.3 FTE teachers for additional classes/expanded offerings - 1.0 foreign language (divided among German, Spanish, Italian);
.2 music; .4 math; .5 English; .6 science; .5 SS; .1 PE; and 1.0 reading +$258,000
• Combine HS English and social studies supervisors into one position (-$72,000)
• Creation of a K-12 Career & Technology Instructional Supervisor (.6 FTE increase) +$45,000
• 1.5 FTE listed as “unassigned” teaching positions, K-12 +$90,000

For your reference, a copy of the PowerPoint slides presented at the first CBAC meeting is posted on the district’s Web site. This program provides additional details about the 2007-08 budget. Through a team effort and with the involvement of the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee, we will develop a spending plan for our students that will enable the high quality of programs in Guilderland to continue in 2007-08. All final decisions will be made by the Board of Education when the budget is adopted on April 4, 2007. Additional changes are probable as further planning takes place during the month of March.

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The Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) is continuing its series of meetings to review the administration’s proposed spending plan for 2007-08. Two sessions were held last week. The tenets that have been followed in developing the budget have been clear but it is always important to remind ourselves of these basic principles because of the difficult decisions that need to be made in the weeks ahead:

• Children are our community’s future.
• Ensure that the financial resources in our school are used wisely to educate students.
• Balancing program needs with the impact on district taxpayers.
• Everyone has a stake in the success of our schools.

Thus far, three of the six scheduled meetings have taken place. Last week, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, presentations were made by:

• Nancy Andress and Kathy Oboyski-Butler focused on the district’s commitment to curriculum support and professional development. Test data in English/Language Arts and mathematics were also shared.

• Al Martino discussed the plan to implement the Foreign Language Early Start (FLES)
  program in grades K-2 (estimated cost for 2.0 FTE Spanish teachers was $120,000)

• Dianne Walshhampton reviewed a proposal to offer an expanded Bridges Program for incoming first and second grades students this summer at each of our five elementary schools. This five week program will provide intensive reading instruction during the summer for up to 100 identified children who need additional support.

• Peter Brabant, principal of Altamont Elementary School reviewed class size data and staffing needs for the 2007-08 school year in grades K-5 as listed below:

K-5 CLASS SIZE DATA

Level                     2006-07 Actual                       2007-08 Projected

K-2                               14- 22                                          15-21
            Average            18.4                                             17.8

Grade 3-5                     17-22                                           17-22
            Average            19.1                                             19.4

Enrollment at Farnsworth Middle School is also expected to decrease next year by a total of 76 students. As a result, the number of seventh grade teaching positions is being reduced from five teams to four (20 to 16 sections; -5.8 FTE). At the same time, Mary Summermatter, FMS principal has requested the addition of a second full-time enrichment program teacher to focus on math and science and 1.5 FTE for the purpose of including a 20-week technology program for all sixth grade students. In the latter case, the program will focus on keyboarding skills, Microsoft applications, and the integration of computer related skills with other curricular areas.

At the high school level, we expect enrollment to increase slightly from 1,873 (2006-07) to 1,898 (2007-08). As such, there were several recommended part-time additions to the faculty (totaling 3.3 FTE) by GHS principal, Mike Piccirillo, in foreign language, music, math, English, social studies, science and physical education along with a full-time reading teacher (1.0 FTE) to provide additional support for students with identified needs. The two areas which generated the most discussion dealt with the proposal to add a new instructional supervisor for Career and Technology Education (K-12) with some teaching responsibilities while combining the high school English and Social Studies supervisor position for grades 9-12 into a 1.0 FTE responsibility with no teaching duties. This model would follow the current approach in math and science at the high school and the combined positions at the middle school for math and science as well as English and social studies. Questions and concerns were raised by CBAC members about this proposed change, which eventually will be addressed by the Board of Education as part of its final deliberations.

The Director of Health, Physical Education and Interscholastic Athletics, Wayne Bertrand, also presented information about the athletic program planned for next year. Due to safety issues and rising participation, he is recommending the addition of a part-time girls’ swimming coach and an assistant varsity gymnastics coach for 2007-08. During the remaining time of the CBAC meeting #3, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Neil Sanders, explained the district’s debt service costs which is similar to our mortgage payment for renovations and expansion of our eight district buildings.

The decisions made by the administration thus far in preparing the spending plan for 2007-08 have not been easy. We are doing our best to maintain the high quality of instructional programs at Guilderland Central and at the same time, balancing these needs with the impact on district taxpayers. As presented at our first Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee meeting, the projected budget for 2007-08 is $82,305,000 which represents a $3,330,455 increase in expenditures compared to the current year. Without any further changes through reduced expenditures or increased revenues, Guilderland residents would face a 3.81% tax increase in 2007-08.

Topics to be reviewed this Thursday, March 15 at our next Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee meeting will be special education, technology, and BOCES services. This will be the fourth of six meetings scheduled as part of our budget review process.

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The Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) held one meeting last week, on Thursday night. Those on the committee as well as members of the Board of Education, administration, faculty and others in attendance heard presentations about special education (Steve Hadden), instructional technology (Joe Laurenzo), and BOCES services (Neil Sanders). Each presenter did a fine job explaining the programs in a clear and easy to understand format as well as to answer questions from committee members.

In 2006-07, the district serves 778 students in special education and this number is expected to increase to 803 for the year ahead. The projected 2007-08 special education budget of $9,232,572 represents an increase by $778,415 (9.2%). Much of the total increase is due to the rising number of students who will be serviced in BOCES programs next year. The projected costs are $490,000+ higher than the amount included in the current budget.

The instructional technology budget for 2007-08 totals $815,257 which is an increase of $22,981 (+2.90%). This part of the budget represents less than one percent of the total K-12 expenditures. Highlights included:

• Replacement of 45 computers in special area classrooms ($ 48,000)
• New servers at the five elementary schools ($15,000)
• Replacement of 64 computers in two middle school labs ($51,000)
• Replacement of 125 computers in four high school labs ($100,000)
• Four additional professional media carts for instructional use ($12,000)

Additional discussion focused on the proposal to establish a new K-12 instructional supervisor position for Career and Technology Education. Because this position would also involve teaching duties, the added administrative costs for 2007-08 are projected to be $45,000.

As explained by Assistant Superintendent for Business Neil Sanders, in 1948, the New York State legislature created BOCES as a means to encourage school districts to pool and share resources. Guilderland Central has a BOCES aid ratio of approximately 60% which means that for those BOCES expenses incurred, the district receives revenue reimbursement at that level (in most but not all cases) during the subsequent school year. We use BOCES services for special education, alternative/vocational education, student testing, health and safety, records management, non-public textbooks, energy procurement, computer support, financial compliance and much more. Included throughout the 2007-08 proposed budget, there are $4.64 million of projected expenditures involving BOCES services.

The next session of the CBAC is scheduled for tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 20, with a very busy agenda planned. Topics to be covered include:

• Transportation
• Buildings & grounds (including energy conservation) and
• Employee benefits with a particular focus on the district’s health insurance program

On Thursday, March 22 we expect to complete the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee process with our sixth and final session. There will be a brief presentation and a question/answer period regarding revenue estimates for 2007-08. Also, on March 22, we will begin the “roundtable” format where the Board of Education asks each participant to take 2-3 minutes and comment on any facet of the budget proposal whether it be a specific expenditure category, the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee process in general, or a recommendation of how best to address or prioritize program needs during the difficult financial times facing us for 2007-08. Comments from CBAC members are not limited in any way. Subsequently, a written summary will be compiled and shared with the participants. As a follow-up to the CBAC process, the feedback generated will be used by the Board of Education for additional discussion at its March 27 meeting. At that time, the trustees will provide further comments and direction to the administration about the proposed budget. The Board of Education is expected to adopt the 2007-08 spending plan on April 3. The budget proposition will be presented to Guilderland Central School District voters on May 15.

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Last week, the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) concluded its meeting schedule. Two sessions were held. On Tuesday, March 20, presentations were given by Chris Sagendorf, transportation supervisor, and a trio of representatives from buildings and grounds--Bob Collins, Paul Whitney and Fred Tresselt. Neil Sanders also reviewed health insurance and fringe benefit costs and the work of our district-wide health insurance committee.

The transportation budget, which totals $4,889,532 for 2007-08 (about 6 % of the total spending plan), shows an increase of $135,128 (+2.84 %) compared to the current year. Buildings & grounds costs are based on two components, plant operation and maintenance. These include the salaries for personnel to clean, maintain, and repair our facilities as well as the materials, supplies and equipment to complete those tasks. Also, included in this category are service contracts and expenditures for heat, electricity, water, sewer, telephone, and trash removal. In these two areas, the combined budget total for 2007-08 is $5,575,792 (about 7 % of the total spending plan) and the increase in spending is $97,506 (+1.8 %) compared to 2006-07. During this presentation, Paul Whitney gave several details of the district’s efforts to go “green” in using non-toxic, biodegradable, organic materials. In addition, Fred Tresselt, explained the efforts of Guilderland’s energy program through cost avoidance, which has led to savings exceeding $500,000 over the past 13 months.

Following Neil Sanders presentation on fringe benefit costs, there were many questions from the CBAC participants. Their attention focused on the expenditure of $9,070,000 for health insurance, an increase of $590,00 or 7 percent. It is important to note that over the past three years (2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07), efforts have been made to change benefit options which have led to significant savings which when compounded, exceed $2.37 million. In addition, the administration has projected another $300,000 to be identified as savings for 2007-08.

The final session of the CBAC, on Thursday, March 22, included an overview by Neil Sanders on state aid and other revenue sources needed to balance next year’s spending plan. We also presented information on non-resident tuition rates as a revenue source. The majority of time during the final session was devoted to participants sharing feedback with the Board of Education about the process itself, specific expenditures, and suggestions to explore before the 2007-08 is adopted in the weeks ahead.

A summary of the feedback from CBAC participants is provided below:

• The 18 CBAC members were appreciative of the work done by the staff and their dedication in making presentations at each session; the information was helpful and the opportunities to ask questions during the additional time provided throughout the meetings were duly noted.
• Small class size at the elementary school level is important and is being maintained.
• There was mixed support for introducing the FLES (Foreign Language Early Start) program with several advocates and others questioning the long term benefits weighed against the projected budget cost.
• There was strong support for expanding the Summer Bridges reading program which would involve elementary school kindergarten and first grade children.
• Many CBAC members urged the Board and administration to restore the high school social studies supervisor position and not combine it with the English supervisor’s position.
• The administration’s recommendation to create a Career & Technology Supervisor position was also questioned by some CBAC members; instead more funding could be allocated for infrastructure and hardware improvements..
• Examine health insurance benefits for employees and identify additional ways to reduce costs.
• Restrain budget growth; do more with less; change the “culture of spending.”
• Recommendations for high school English teachers to be assigned five classes (not four) in an effort to reduce expenditures as well as a fairness issue with other departments.
• Guilderland is an excellent school system and the value of our properties is reflected in the quality of the excellent programs in place.

Next steps

The Board of Education will meet tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 27, when the trustees will review the feedback from the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee. Having heard the comments, the Board will discuss the proposed budget and direct the administration to make additional changes. This may include additions or deletions to the proposed spending plan. In addition, the Board will likely give the administration a tax rate projection that we are targeting.

• Proposed 2007-08 Budget: $82,305,000

• Expenditure Increase: $ 3,330,455 (+4.22%)

• Projected Tax Increase: +3.81%

On April 3, the Board of Education is scheduled to adopt the 2007-08 budget to be presented to the voters on May 15. In the meantime, district office administrators will continue reviewing expenditures and revenue estimates in our efforts to maintain quality educational programs in Guilderland, with strong consideration being given to the tax rate impact for district residents.

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