The Re-Org Meeting

The Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, July 2, 2013, at 5:00 PM in the Merritt Building. This is the annual reorganization meeting and will include a discussion of the Code of Conduct. Newly-elected trustee Jennifer Daly will be sworn in, and the Board will elect its President and Vice President.

Last Meeting of the 2012-2013 school year

Haldane's Board of Education will meet for the last time this school year on Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00 pm in the Board Meeting Room. The meeting will follow an Executive Session. The draft agenda is available at http://www.haldaneschool.org/www/haldaneschool/site/hosting/BOE/12.13/June/Draft_Agenda_6.18.13.pdf.

Budget and Security/Bus Props Pass

Proposition I: School Budget 554 Yes / 210 No PASSED

Proposition II: School Bus Van and School Security Improvement Project 578 Yes / 230 No PASSED

Congratulations to Gillian Thorpe and Jennifer Daly who were elected to 3-Year Terms on the Board of Education that begin on July 1, 2013, and thanks to Julisa Rincon-Tomizawa who stepped up to volunteer to serve our district by running for school board.

VOTE Today at Haldane--two-sided ballot

VOTE Today, May 21 until 9:00 pm, Room 105 of the Haldane Middle School. Parking will be available in the upper (bell) parking lot and on the school playground. The ballot for the two Propositions and three Board of Education Trustee candidates is two-sided--please vote BOTH SIDES.

May 21--Annual District Meeting (a.k.a. Budget Vote Day)

What is the Annual District Meeting? It is also known as the day voters decide on their school budget vote and trustee elections. On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 between the hours of 7:00 am and 9:00 pm n Room 105 in the Haldane Middle School building, eligible registered voters may select two of three trustee candidates and vote on the two propositions.

Proposition I:
School Budget

Proposition II:
School Bus Van Purchase and School Security Improvement Project

Vote for two of three Board of Education Trustee Candidates
Gillian Thorpe (incumbent)
Jennifer Daly
Julisa Rincon-Tomizawa

Read more about the budget in the Haldane Horizons newsletter, or visit the Haldane School website at haldaneschool.org and look under the Board of Education heading.

Parking is available in the upper (bell) parking lot. Due to predicted scattered showers, the school will also open up the playground for voter parking.

Meet the Candidates Night Video

If you missed Haldane's Board of Education Trustee Meet the Candidates night, you may view the video here: http://vimeo.com/66491565.

Another Unfunded Mandate?

The New York State Board of Regents has proposed a new graduation requirement which could affect next year's freshman class--The Regents Research Paper. NYSED's proposal is available at this link: http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2013Meetings/April2013/CCResearchPaperSlides.pdf.

According to Education Commissioner John King the goal is to ensure students have mastered important English skills that cannot be measured by standardized testing. (Source: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Some-research-required-4454776.php#ixzz2RIZLRpth)

According to Superintendent Mark Villanti, Haldane already has a research paper requirement, but implementing a New York State Regents Research Paper requirement will inflict extra work and will require additional district resources.

NYSED may vote on this new requirement as early as June. Comments may be sent to Commissioner King at New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234.

New York State Report Card for Haldane Central School

See the New York State Report Card for Haldane at: https://reportcards.nysed.gov/files/2011-12/RC-2012-480401040000.pdf

This report includes:

1 Profile This section shows comprehensive data relevant to this school’s or district’s learning environment, including information about enrollment, attendance and suspensions, and staff.

2 Student Performance This section shows student performance on standardized assessments at the elementary, middle, and commencement levels.

3 Student Outcomes This section shows outcomes for graduates and noncompleters, including postgraduation plans of completers.

(reference page for all district reports by NYSED: https://reportcards.nysed.gov/schools.php?district=800000039703&year=2012)

Budget Public Hearing--May 7 at 7:00pm

The Board of Education will hold a public hearing of the annual budget proposal on May 7 at 7:00 pm in the Board meeting room. In addition to the public hearing, there will be a special presentation of the district's risk assessment by internal auditors Cooper Nieman & Co. The draft agenda for the meeting is available at the Haldane School website.

Board of Education Trustee Candidate Forum May 13

UPDATED 5/7/13

Monday, May 13, 2013 at 7:30pm in the Haldane Music Room
Learn more about the three candidates running for election to the Haldane Board of Education this month. Jennifer Daly, Gillian Thorpe, and Julisa Rincon-Tomizawa will all be on hand for this moderated forum sponsored by Haldane PTA. Open to the public. Babysitting provided during the forum--contact the PTA for more information.

Read statements by the candidates:
Jennifer Daly
Julisa Rincon-Tomizawa
Gillian Thorpe (current Board of Education Vice President)

L-R below: Jennifer Daly, Gillian Thorpe, Julisa Rincon-Tomizawa

Construction Documents for Haldane Synthetic Turf Field & Locker Room Improvements

On Thursday May 2nd the construction specification documents will be available in Haldane District Office from 7:30am to 4pm daily for any contractors that wish to bid on the job. Please pass this information on to anyone who might be interested in bidding on all or part of the job. Specification documents will cost $100 per copy with that fee being waived for any contractors who commit to providing an in-kind donation of materials or labor to the project. The bid opening date will be May 23rd. The District is looking for construction to commence the first day after school is out for the summer with a substantial completion date of September 1st.

For those bidding on part of the project the District would like to add you to the "preferred vendors list" so that whoever wins the overall bid will contact you first for a bid on your part of the project (excavation, electrical, plumbing, etc.). This allows those contractors that wish to provide some in-kind labor and/or material will give a lower bid so they are still making money but also providing the school with a reduced rate.

Meet the Board of Education Trustee Candidates!

Haldane PTA’s upcoming Meet the Candidates Forum will be held on Monday, May 13th at 7:30 PM in the Music Room at Haldane. This forum is sponsored by the Haldane PTA, and is open to the public. All candidates seeking election to the Haldane School Board of Education on May 21st have been invited to appear. 

Evelyn Carr-White, who is the Elementary VP for Haldane PTA, will serve as Moderator for this forum, which will be taped for broadcast on the public access channel. Candidate statements will be posted on this blog soon.

The Tax Cap--why it's really not a 2% cap

Rescheduled BOE Meeting: April 23, 2013 at 7:00 pm

The Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Budget and Trustee vote will be the first item on Haldane's Board of Education Workshop agenda on April 23, 2013. Following the vote, the Board will proceed with its regular workshop meeting. According to the draft agenda (available at the Haldane website) the Board will review Budget Proposal #4 which they adopted earlier this month. 

Other items of note: NY State Education Department has given approval for to go ahead with the field/auditorium/locker room project so that it will qualify for state aid. Please note several important dates for upcoming school events, including Eco Night, (5/3 at 6:00pm) Athletic Booster Club Fundraiser Car Show, (5/19) and Fine Arts Awards Evening (5/21 at 7:00pm).

Please remember to vote on May 21 in the budget and trustee election, and if you work out of town, are homebound, or cannot get to the polls during the voting hours 7:00am to 9:00pm, please contact District Clerk Kathy Marino for an absentee ballot.

April Workshop Meeting Date Change

The Board of Education is moving the workshop meeting which was originally scheduled for 4/16  to 4/23 so that they may vote on the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Budget. The meeting will convene at 7:00 pm, and following the BOCES budget vote, Haldane's workshop meeting will commence. The proposed budget will be available for public review at this meeting.

Revenue Relief (Really!) from Albany

Superintendent Mark Villanti reported at tonight's 4/3/13 Board of Education meeting that the recently-adopted New York State budget restores some of the aid to the District's projected revenue. "We are grateful for the extra money," Dr. Villanti noted, "but we are still not out of the woods," adding that the cut in State Aid is still $418,000 short. To put this in historical perspective, Haldane's State Aid reimbursement is $600K less than it was in the 2009-10 budget year, and district expenses and financial obligations have only increased since then. In the past five years the District has been forced to find over $2 million in spending cuts to make up the shortfall caused by the Gap Elimination Adjustment.

Dr. Villanti also offered an explanation of the implications of a contingency cap, which would take place in the event of a twice-defeated budget vote. This year, like last year, a contingency budget means a zero percent spending increase and would necessitate an additional $619,849 in spending cuts. Voter approval will be essential to maintain fiscal and educational solvency. "This is high stakes," said Dr. Villanti. 

In the event of a contingency cap, these cuts would be drastic and would dramatically (and negatively) impact education programs. To illustrate the devastation a contingency cap would impose on the District, the entire athletic budget, minus transportation, is about $350K. If forced to reduce spending by a contingency cap, the District could cut the entire athletic budget and still have a sizable budget shortfall with more cuts yet to make. Voter approval of a spending plan is always a welcome sign to the Board of Education that it is making decisions which are appropriate for the community. 

In addition to the Budget Proposition, voters will be asked to approve a second resolution for a new propane van and a school security improvement project. Noting the necessity of obtaining a replacement van and some improvements to campus security, the Board readily adopted the resolution to present this proposition for public vote.

There may exist some questions from the public about how the District should make use of the unexpected relief from the restoration of State Aid. The Board reserves the right to make a determination about the fate of the "bubble" class, pending final enrollment numbers. The public is encouraged to contact the Board trustees at boe@haldaneschool.org, or Dr. Villanti at mvillanti@haldane.lhric.org with any questions or concerns about the budget and bus/security propositions.

Will YOU run for Board of Education trustee?

Do you think you can make a difference in your school?

You can--become a trustee candidate for Haldane's Board of Education!

Petitions are due in the district office no later than April 22 at 5:00 pm.

To see a copy of the candidate materials please click here. Prospective candidates must contact District Clerk Katherine Marino to obtain original petition packets. Email  KMarino@haldane.lhric.org or call 845-265-9254, extension 111 for the business office.

Budget Adoption: WEDNESDAY, April 3

On Wednesday, April 3 at 7:00 pm Haldane's Board of Education will convene to adopt the spending plan that it hopes the voters will approve on May 21. The Board has reviewed three proposals, and the current budget proposal (Proposal #3) contains reductions in several areas, explained in a recent presentation from March 19.

Following is an excerpt from yesterday's New York State Budget announcement from Governor Andrew Cuomo. At this time, the specific implications of this budget on Haldane's revenue from state aid are unknown.

Education Investments and Reforms:
Increasing Funding for Education: The Budget reflects New York State’s focus on creating a world-class education system that will fully prepare all of New York's students to compete in the 21st Century economy. To accomplish the goal, the Budget includes an increase of nearly $1 billion in school aid. (4.9%)

Pre-kindergarten Program Expansion: Recognizing that quality early education is critical for long-term success and that children who attend full-day pre-k often outperform their peers, the Budget provides a $25 million additional investment for pre-kindergarten with an emphasis on high quality, full-day pre-k. Funding is targeted toward higher need students in lower wealth school districts via a competitive process.

State Increases Tied to Teacher Evaluations: To maintain New York State’s leadership in holding teachers accountable for student achievement, the Budget continues to tie increases in funding for education to the implementation of a teacher evaluation system.

Extended Learning Time: Our existing education calendar is still based on an agrarian system and the United States lags behind other nations in terms of how much time students spend in the classroom. In order to provide increased learning opportunities, the Budget includes $20 million to support high-quality extended school day or extended school year programs, with academically enriched programming. Schools that apply to participate in the program must agree to expand learning time by 25 percent. The state will cover the full cost of expanding learning time for students.

Community Schools: Recognizing that a school is not just a "school" in distressed communities and that the demands of schools in wealthier districts are different than demands in lowest wealth districts, the Budget provides $15 million to support innovative programs designed to transform schools into community hubs that integrate social, health and other services, as well as after-school programming to support students and their families.

Reward High-Performing Teachers: To improve results and incentive high-performance, the Budget provides $11 million to implement a program that will offer $15,000 in annual stipends for four years to the most effective teachers beginning with math and science teachers.

Early College High School Programs: To improve college access and success, the Budget provides $4 million in new state funding to expand Early College High School programs.

Bar Exam for Teachers: To ensure the best and brightest are teaching our children, the State Education Department will increase the standards for teacher certification to require passage of a “bar exam,” in addition to longer, more intensive and high-quality student-teaching experience in a school setting.

March 19 Meeting--Budget Update

Following a brief presentation by Mark Fobare of Monolith Solar, Superintendent Villanti proceeded to outline the bleak options which face the district in budgeting the 2013-2014 spending plan. The school community has been hearing for several years that the financial pressure from Cap, Gap and unfunded mandates would eventually lead us to educational and fiscal insolvency. In order to balance the school budget, spending cuts are necessary. Pending the finalized New York State budget, which could alter some of Haldane's final decisions, Dr. Villanti listed the spending cuts in Budget Proposal #3:

• Eliminate summer school
• Decrease in Special Education tuitions
• Decrease in Athletic budget
• Decrease in Operations and Maintenance Budget
• Decrease in classroom equipment and supplies
• Support staff reductions
• Classroom instruction reductions
• Benefit reductions (related to staff reductions)

Specific staff changes that are of perhaps the greatest concern to the school community involve the decision to keep three sections of Kindergarten and the decision to cut the "bubble" class. Dr. Villanti stated that he sees no other way to balance the budget without this cut. Board President Mike Junjulas concurred, reminding the audience that he is also the parent of a "bubble" class student. 

In a surprise show of support and confidence in the budget process, Jen Wilson announced that Haldane's Administrative Association members agreed to accept a pay freeze next year. Budget implications from this announcement are unknown at this time.

Pre-Budget Hearing and Solar Panel Presentation

The Haldane Community is strongly encouraged to attend the Board of Education meeting Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00 in the Board meeting Music room (updated 3/18/13). The Board will review and discuss its options in spending cuts that it will likely adopt on April 3 in the 2013-2014 spending plan. The Board will also hear a presentation from Monolith Solar about the possibility for a solar panel project at Haldane. A draft agenda is available on the school website: haldaneschool.org.

Two BOE Trustee Seats Open; Energy Performance Contract's Early Endorsement

At Haldane's Board of Education meeting on March 5, 2013, the school board heard a presentation by Facilities Director Mike Twardy. After evaluating energy use for 2011-2012 and a comparing to-date usage for 2012-2013, Twardy gave the Board the single piece of good budget news of the evening: that fuel oil and electricity consumption were down, and that he would be asking the Board for no increase in these budget items in the 2013-2014 spending plan. Credit for the decreases in consumption, according to Twardy, goes to the successful upgrades as per the Energy Performance Contract.

On a related topic, the Board has invited Monolith Solar to present a proposal for a solar panel project installation at Haldane. Board President Mike Junjulas and Trustee Pete Henderson have described this project as one that would create no additional cost for the district, and would offer a unique learning opportunity for students as well. Monolith Solar will present its proposal at the March 19 Board meeting.

Board Vice President Gillian Thorpe announced that it was her intention not to seek re-election to the Board for another term. Her term ends this year. President Mike Junjulas has already stated that he plans to step down at the end of this school year. Thus, at least two candidates are sought for the two Board trustee seats that are up this year. Those interested in serving on the school board should contact Board Clerk Kathy Marino (KMarino@haldane.lhric.org) or call the district office at 845-265-9254, ext 115. 

Back to the budget: the Board hopes to present its recommendations for spending cuts in specific budget items at the next meeting on March 19. The Board also intends to adopt a spending plan for 2013-2014 at a specially-scheduled meeting on April 3. After that, no changes can be made to the budget proposal and it will be subject to voter approval on May 21. It is in the best interests of the district and the school community to craft a spending plan that voters will approve, but to do so the public must weigh in on what we think we can  live with--or live without. A list of proposed cuts will be discussed on March 19. The Board has repeatedly stated its desire to hear from the public, and parents and members of the school community are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting and join the conversation.

A Two and a Half Minute Explanation of the Gap

As school districts across New York State engage in the annual process of developing their spending plans for the next fiscal year, each must contend with the increasing pressure of the the Tax Cap and Gap Elimination Adjustment. For a clear, concise explanation of the Gap, see this video by Education Speaks.

Gap Elimination Adjustment: An Explanation

The Board is already looking at possible cuts in support staff, classroom instruction, instructional and athletic supplies and equipment, and the elimination of summer school. Though not yet agreed upon or specific, these reductions do not yet address all of the spending cuts that will be necessary to meet the district's budget deficit. Budget discussions will continue in Haldane Board of Education meetings, and the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 7:00 pm in the Merritt Building.

What Can We Live Without?

Haldane Board of Education Workshop Meeting Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 7:00 pm in the Merritt Building. 

The challenges Haldane's Board of Education faces as it develops a spending plan for 2013-2014 will be how to identify spending cuts that will cause the least impact to its education program, and how to make sustainable cuts so that the district can continue to function. 

In the past few years the District has made careful choices for spending reductions, natural staff reductions, and the use of reserve funds and fund balance to avoid more painful program cuts. This year the Board faces difficult choices and must make cuts to meet an estimated $400k budget shortfall. There are no easy answers. Parents, students, teachers and everyone else in the school community has a stake in this discussion--the question is, what can you live without?

Budget update discussions will take place between now and April 2, when the Board adopts the Budget Proposition for public vote. The time leading up to Budget Adoption is when the public can offer input into the planning process, and public participation is encouraged by the Board. What is cut--or what is saved--will be determined in the next few weeks. At Tuesday's workshop the discussion will focus on Program Review and Budget Investments. A draft agenda is available at the Haldane School website. 

Business Meeting and Budget Talks

Haldane's Board of Education will meet Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 7:00 pm in the Merritt Building meeting room. This is the regular monthly business meeting, and the budget will be discussed at every meeting until the budget vote on May 21. The Governor's budget will affect decisions about spending in this budget creation process, and public input is encouraged. 

Meet Your New York State Legislators!

On Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 7:00 pm in the Board Meeting Room in the Mabel Merritt Building, Haldane's School Board will welcome Assemblywoman Sandy Galef and newly-elected State Senator Terry Gipson to talk about Haldane finances and get to know our community. A link to the draft agenda is available on the Haldane School home page, as well as links to special presentation materials. 

Visit http://www.haldaneschool.org/www/haldaneschool/site/hosting/BOE/12.13/January/Budget_&_State_Aid.pdf to see the budget and state aid history for the district. 

This meeting--like all Board of Education meetings--is open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend to meet the legislators and ask questions.