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Westhampton Beach Schools Superintendent Michael Radday is warning Board of Education members that they will have to trim at least $1.5 million from next year’s budget—assuming that they simply roll over the current year’s $50.4 million spending plan—unless they plan on piercing the state’s new tax cap.
For the second consecutive week, Mr. Radday reminded School Board members on Monday night that simply maintaining the status quo would force them to go over the 2 percent cap. Board members are now crunching the numbers for the 2012-13 budget.
“If we were to do nothing and roll over our current budget, we would be looking at a $1,964,000 increase, a 3.9 percent budget-to-budget increase,” Mr. Radday told board members during their inaugural budget meeting last week.
He added at the time that, in order to stay under the cap, the board would have to limit next year’s budget increase to approximately $445,000, or less than 1 percent.
Mr. Radday and School Board member Beecher Halsey also explained that, in order to stay under the cap, they must adopt a spending plan that limits next year’s tax levy increase to 1.74 percent. The tax levy is the amount of money that a district must raise through property taxes each year. Due to various state-approved exemptions, school districts could have tax levy increases that fall either above or below the 2 percent threshold and still have spending plans that meet the new state requirement.
Mr. Radday repeated his same warning during Monday night’s meeting, the second hearing on the proposed 2012-13 school budget. School officials have not yet released any concrete figures regarding next year’s spending plan.
“We have a lot of tough decisions that we will have to make over the next several board meetings,” Mr. Radday said. “We’ll have to decide whether or not it makes sense for our community to try to live within that tax levy limit or opt for the supermajority and exceed that cap.”
School Board members said this week that it was too early in the process to say if they will have to pierce the cap to get a workable budget. Board President Jim Hulme said on Tuesday that the board is currently looking at what programs might have to be trimmed.
“I expect the impact could be significant, however, we should understand that soon,” Mr. Hulme said. “We have worked hard over time to create a wonderful educational program in our school district and I, for one, do not want it to be dismantled,” he added.
If they ultimately opt to pierce the cap, at least 60 percent of taxpayers will have to sign off on the spending plan for it to pass as part of the new supermajority clause. Last May, nearly 65.2 percent of voters approved the current $50.4 million spending plan; the budget passed 436-233.
If they decide to pierce the cap and their budget is ultimately voted down, board members still have the option of revising their spending plan and holding a second vote. The difference this year is, if that happens and the budget is rejected a second time, school officials must then adopt a spending plan that has a zero-percent increase on the tax levy.
Mr. Hulme noted that, in previous years, the board has pieced together balanced budgets that have earned the support of the community, and he thinks that will be the case again if the members decide they must pierce the cap. He added that their commitment to education has allowed Westhampton Beach to be one of the top-performing schools in the county and state.
“If that leads us to a budget that exceeds the cap, I believe the residents of our community will continue to support this form of excellence,” Mr. Hulme said.
As the budget review process progresses, Mr. Hulme is suggesting that the district prioritize programs and look more closely at its reserve funds and school expenditures. Mr. Radday added that, while working on the budget, school officials will remain focused on their core mission of educating students.
Mr. Halsey said he would like the board to consider three scenarios, including one that exceeds the cap and one that comes in under it. The third scenario, he continued, would involve calculating the fallout from being forced to pass a spending plan with a zero-percent tax levy increase—a scenario that could happen if the board tries to pierce the cap and fails to get enough public support.
“We have a pretty good feeling of the damage that would be done,” Mr. Halsey said, referring to the scenario in which the board adopts a plan that meets the cap limit.
Over the past two budget meetings, six school administrators have presented their 2012-13 budget requests to the school board. Though he is looking for slightly less money next year—a 0.22 percent drop—Westhampton Beach High School Principal Chris Herr said that any cuts to his programming “would be a major hit to programs.” He did not provide actual numbers, only percentages, while addressing the board.
Mr. Radday has indicated that cuts to the district’s adult education programming were more likely to happen before the board trims the high school spending plan.
Continuing their review process this week, board members scrutinized the proposed budget request of school maintenance crew leader Anthony Verga, who said his department has made efforts to save money where it could. For instance, mowers and trucks are constantly refurbished and repaired to keep down costs. “We are trying to use vehicles less to conserve gas,” he told the board.
Mr. Verga’s proposed operations budget for next year raises spending by almost $37,000, or 1.33 percent, to just over $2.8 million. He noted that contractual salary increases account for the bulk of the increase. While board members were reluctant to purchase any new equipment, they said they would examine the needs of the department.
Christine Capozzola, a mother of four children who are now attending the district, was one of only two members of the public to attend the first two budget hearings. At the first, she asked about class sizes at the high school and Mr. Herr explained that most classes contain between 24 and 25 students. Ms. Capozzola, who works as a teacher in the East Quogue School District, also expressed her hope that summer programs would stay intact in Westhampton Beach.
Bonnie Chieffo, another East Quogue Elementary School teacher who has two children attending Westhampton Beach schools, also attended both hearings. Last week, she suggested that the district consider offering special education classes in Westhampton Beach instead of sending them out of the district.
According to Kathy O’Hara, the assistant superintendent for business at Westhampton Beach, the district currently sends 18 general education students to Eastern Suffolk Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), and Mr. Radday said it costs the district around $12,100 per student. In addition, eight special education students now go to BOCES, and seven receive full-day educational services. Mr. Radday said the costs of sending those students to BOCES varies and is based on the needs of individual students.
“Many of the BOCES programs are very specialized and it would not be cost-effective or in the best interests of the students for us to try to replicate those programs in district,” he said.
On Monday, MaryAnn Ambrosini, the district’s director of pupil personnel services, announced that the district will be creating a class at the elementary level for special education students. The class, she said, will educate up to eight students and be led by one teacher and an aide. As of right now, the district expects the class will have five students, including two who are now being educated outside the district. Three of the students will be incoming kindergartners. Mr. Radday estimates that the move will save the district about $100,000 in tuition costs.
Mr. Halsey said the district should look to change their special education model in order to save money. “Maybe it won’t be as perfect as it has been,” he said, adding that tough economic times call for such measures.
In response, Mr. Radday emphasized that fulfilling the academic needs of special education students is part of the district’s core mission. He added that any restructuring would have to be carefully considered.
The next budget hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 12, at 7 p.m., in the high school library.
