The Jamestown Public Schools' first draft of the 2010-11 budget includes a 5 percent tax increase and a cut equaling 50 full-time employees.
More than 75 people were in attendance as district officials unveiled the first draft of the budget Tuesday. Deke Kathman, district superintendent, said he wasn't surprised by the large crowd at the meeting and said he expects meeting attendance will increase in the coming weeks. District officials have until mid-April to make changes and then adopt the budget. A budget hearing and public vote will be held in May.
"Tonight I presented a 'first draft' of the recommended Jamestown Public school budget for 2010-11," Kathman said. "That recommendation assumes a drastically reduced level of support from the state of New York - as recommended by Gov. David Paterson. That funding cut, if left to stand by the legislative process, will require a local tax increase as well as significant personnel and programmatic cuts to our educational program. In this first draft, I described the need for a 5 percent local tax levy increase as well as $4.6 million dollars in cuts. Our definitive hope is that our legislative representatives will find a way to reverse the draconian cuts the governor has proposed."
District officials plan to use $1.1 million of the fund balance, increase the tax levy by $700,000 and cut $4.6 million from the 2009-10 budget as part of its 2010-11 budget, according to information discussed during Tuesday's board of education meeting. The 2010-11 budget proposal is a $79,604,933 proposal that increases spending by $2,609,351 from 2009-10 even with the cuts the district is proposing. The tax levy would increase from $13,944,132 to $14,644,132, or about 5 percent.
Kathman said they do not want to tap into too much of their reserves as it will cause a deficit for the following school year.
"We would dig a ditch we cannot come out of," he said of using too much of the district's surplus.
Thomas Pope, district board member, said he sees many houses for sale while driving around the area and doesn't think district residents can absorb another property tax increase.
"None of us wants to cut any positions, any programs, or raise taxes, but we have to do something,'' said Thomas Pope, a board member.
He said the question wasn't about what they would like to do with the school system and their programs, but "what can we afford to offer."
DETAILING THE CUTS
Among the cuts are two full-time assistant principals, an academic coordinator, reducing to part-time a director position, eliminating a middle school dean of students, reducing administrative time for department chair positions and administrative salary concessions - which would save the district a combined $342,000.
Administrators are also proposing to save $30,000 by changing two leagues for two of its sports teams, not buying supplies, eliminating two vacated positions and eliminating a varsity assistant softball coach. The district proposes saving $1,130,000 by cutting six positions at Jamestown High School, 7.5 full-time specialist positions in remedial math in the elementary school, elementary and middle school math, the videography program, Youth Apprenticeship Program and middle school Transition specialists, three computer teachers in the middle schools, two middle school English teachers and three elementary classroom positions.
Special education would lose one integrated special education pre-kindergarten teacher, one full-time speech therapist, a half-time physical therapist, a full-time certified occupational therapist assistant, seven special education teachers throughout the district and a full-time school psychologist -a combined savings of $555,000.
Another $548,000 would be saved by eliminating elementary summer school, student-age GED classes, middle school volunteer programs and adult education courses and reducing alternative education programs.
"In the course of this last week, I've had the opportunity to speak with your superintendent plenty of times," said Christine Schnars, school board president. "I know this has been an extremely difficult process."
Mrs. Schnars said board members are seeing the "human side" of this budget, and asked the superintendent and board members to consider the duties of the people in a building that will, for example, lose four positions and ask themselves who will do those duties in the absence of those positions.
"It's important to know the impact on schools and buildings," Mrs. Schnars said.
Kathman said there is much more to do. He said that the board has instructed him to be careful with class sizes - especially in the younger age groups - and flagship programs. Kathman said there is a good possibility of a tax increase as budget deliberations continue.
"This was awful," Kathman said about putting together the budget and cutting positions. "It's a low point in my entire educational career. It was an impossible job and I know it's not done. I don't believe we can avoid (a tax increase) this year.''
