School Board: We Want Public Input on Budget Decisions

In a continuing effort to improve communications and interaction with parents and taxpayers, the Babylon School Board of Education is urging residents to attend upcoming budget presentations and finance committee meetings and provide feedback during budget decision making.

The latest step was setting aside the meeting rules governing Monday night’s board workshop. Unlike official school board meetings, where the agenda affords public comment and question and answer segments, a board workshop is an open meeting that doesn’t include public speaking time.

But the board, upon a member’s request, set aside that rule given the higher-than expected attendance and asked for feedback on proposed budget cuts presented by Interim Superintendent Peter Daly.

The district needs to cut $750,000 from the current budget to meet this year’s tax levy cap mandate.

The initial ‘cut’ list includes everything from eliminating kindergarten, which is not a state mandated program, to expanding class size in the lower grades, which could mean laying off seven fulltime teachers.

The list also includes slashing transportation and eliminating seventh and eighth grade sports, all clubs, the after-school program and field trips. Other options include cutting back on textbooks, the number of class aides, and reconfiguring the district’s administration and central office staffing.

“All of this is just horrible,” said Board Vice President Roger A. Katz, who asked Daly to present deeper insight on administration costs and potential savings options. “We need some fuller information on some of these proposals. I’d like to see a suggested reconfiguration of administration,” he added.

Alena Berenblatt, in her first year on the board, said she’s opposed to cutting clubs, art and music but acknowledged every option needs to be evaluated.

First-year Trustee Dominick Montalto noted that some similar-sized districts have already done away with expanded transportation and are just meeting state mandated requirements. Fellow Trustee Tom Melito described the transportation cut as an “easy one” given it doesn’t directly impact students’ educational programming.

Another first-term member, Greg Antolini, said the proposed list was a “good start” in the decision-making process and the board should consider making deeper cuts given the district will face the same scenario next year with the tax cap.

“Why not strive to make 1.2 million in cuts as it could be better for us next year. Maybe we’d only have to make $500,000 in cuts next year,” he said.

District officials expect that a $770,000 cut will be needed in the 2012-1014 year and maybe as much as $827,000 in 2012-2015 to meet the tax cap mandate.

Trustee Lisa McKeown, who heads up the board’s finance committee, also supports a review of the district’s administrative staffing.

Feedback from the audience focused on the need to reduce administrative costs, as well as the impact of current negotiations on a new teacher’s contract.

The current contract expires this June. One resident emphasized the need to take a hard line with any potential compensation increases and another asked the board to push to cut salaries by 5 percent.

“That’s what’s happening in companies today. People are taking pay cuts and companies are asking to avoid having to layoff,” he told the board.

The board, which can legally discuss negotiations if it chooses, is not commenting on negotiations citing the good faith practice typically adhered to during collective bargaining contract talks.

Another parent asked the board to “think outside the box” in budget cuts. Daly responded the district is doing that, going as far as to consider taking in students from other districts via a tuition program. He cited the Elwood School District which is considering consolidating programs and partnering with other districts to provide students certain aspects of its educational program.

Residents also questioned the potential of possible new revenue streams but as Melito related, past efforts at such proposal were squashed by state education decision-makers for various reasons.

“We want as much community input as possible and our goal is to make the best decisions for the kids,” said Board of Education President Dominic P. Bencivenga, who is in his second year on the board. “We have finite resources and a philosophy has to be part of the discussion. We have to look at what we really need,” he said.