School Budget -- Passed 505 Yes 346 No
School Vehicles -- Passed 450 Yes 378 No
Joseph F. Curto Jr. and Evan Schwartz were elected as Trustees.
Thank you for voting!
4/28/09 BOE Workshop
See agenda. John D’Angelo will also present roofing project update.
4/14/09 Budget Adoption Meeting
Dr. Villanti gave an updated Budget Presentation. The Board adopted Proposition 1, a $20,688,727 spending plan for 2009–10. This is the budget you will vote on May 19th.
Proposition 2 will pay for two new vans and a car and streamline the fleet.
4/7/09 Special Budget Workshop
The purpose of this meeting was to discuss budget priorities prior to the 4/14/09 budget adoption meeting. See the Dr. Villanti’s Budget Presentation, including proposed cuts, the
2008–09 and 2009–10 budget comparison, (updated 4/9/09) and the 2009–10 State Aid Projections. Check back regularly at the PTA BOE website for additional budget documentation.
See agenda for the meeting at www.haldaneschool.org.
Draft of 2009–10 Budget available here. Podcast now available!
Draft of 2009–10 Budget available here. Podcast now available!
Complete BOE meeting packet, including draft budget at PTA BOE website.
From 3/9/09 PTA meeting with Dr. Villanti
At the February 24, 2009 Board of Education meeting Superintendent Mark Villanti read a letter describing his thoughts about this unusually difficult budget process. The goal would appear to be to keep the budget increase below contingency levels. To achieve this, there will be spending cuts to programs, personnel, sports, field trips and many other areas.
This year, perhaps more than any other year, it is imperative for voters to understand the consequences of a contingency budget. A contingency budget occurs when voters fail to approve the budget as put forth by the Board of Education. A contingency budget is still a spending increase; however, with a contingency there are spending restrictions placed upon the school. With an approved budget, on the other hand, the school has more freedom to decide how funds are spent.
A contingency budget will still result in an increase, and if the Board crafts a budget with an increase below contingency levels there is the possibility that a failed budget will actually cost us more.
In the coming weeks please visit the Haldane School website for updates and budget news, and check the PTA BOE pages for news, agendas and notes of the Board meetings.
This year, perhaps more than any other year, it is imperative for voters to understand the consequences of a contingency budget. A contingency budget occurs when voters fail to approve the budget as put forth by the Board of Education. A contingency budget is still a spending increase; however, with a contingency there are spending restrictions placed upon the school. With an approved budget, on the other hand, the school has more freedom to decide how funds are spent.
A contingency budget will still result in an increase, and if the Board crafts a budget with an increase below contingency levels there is the possibility that a failed budget will actually cost us more.
In the coming weeks please visit the Haldane School website for updates and budget news, and check the PTA BOE pages for news, agendas and notes of the Board meetings.
6 comments:
Just to clarify, the projected tax rate increase most likely won't be determined until NY State has an approved budget. That determines the state aid Haldane receives. By law the state budget is due April 1st. The final tax rate isn't known definitively until the Board adopts the tax rate in August'09 due to assements & equalization rates NYS sets.
Also, as we have heard at budget discussions in the past, the budget is a spending plan, so the tax increase could be less (or more) than the budget increase, depending on the NYS tax rate.
Podcast for the 3/3/09 BOE meeting is up. Listen for budget presentation and become part of the discussion!
In the podcast from the 3/17/09 meeting Dr. Villanti reported some of the comments about his meeting with the PTA, including loss of summer school and overnight field trips.
The position of JV LaCrosse Coach was approved by a one vote margin after heated debate.
The BOE met last night & is getting very close to a final budget. They will adopt the budget that goes before the voters on Tues 4/14 at 7:30pm. It appears the spending increase will be 2.48% with a projected tax rate for Philipstown of 2.5%. Some cuts that were agreed upon at the meeting were reductions in five field trips ( Wash, DC, Boston, Taconic Outdoor events), elimnation of the assistant coaches for baseball & LAX, aide ( three ) reduction in hours & associated benefits, elimination of one TA position associated with a special ed student who is moving to an out of district placement, summer school eliminated for '09, part time reading position replaced with 6th period assignments to save $15k. There was also a reduction in co-curricular funds though the details were sketchy based on the handouts available to the public. It appears the Technology Plan was un touched regarding upgrades/replacements.
There is also discussion about a change in Board policy which could affect sports and 6th period assignment funding.
Trustee Schwartz has asked the Board to consider setting a fixed budget for sports so that the administration would be responsible for deciding how funds are allocated to each sport or activity.
Similarly, he suggests the Board should define a fixed number of 6th period assignments. Thus, the administration would decide what classes might receive the 6th period assignments and how many might be canceled.
The goal of this policy change would be to remove the responsibility of decision-making from the Board of Education to the school and administration.
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