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PV Board of Ed Works on Proposition Language
2007-8 PV School Budget aims for slight increase over consumer price index
by Margaret Sternberg
 | | From left, faculty advisors and members of the Make a Difference Club look on as Elise Elbrecht of Cardinal McCloskey Services speaks after receiving a donation from the group |
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The Putnam Valley Board of Education wasted no time addressing the wording of the proposition they intend to put before the voters in February. At their December 14, 2006 meeting the Board appeared to do most of the modifications they deemed necessary to convert the proposition’s usual wording into something sounding less like tautology and more like a relatively simple request to approve virtually free money from the State.
The proposition asks that the public approve expending approximately $613,000 of State EXCEL Aid and approximately $477,000 of State Building Aid for the construction of an addition to and reconstruction of the elementary and/or middle school buildings.
Assistant Superintendent for Finance Paul Lee explained that if the District used the EXCEL Aid for capital construction, the EXCEL Aid could be leveraged to get State Building Aid as well, adding approximately $1.1 million to the $2.4 million in previously authorized funds left from Phase 1 of the previous building construction. Lee said the purpose of the referendum was to get voter approval “for us to use State Aid for capital construction…at no cost to the taxpayers.” Trustee Marie Zarcone immediately asked whether there could be information on the proposition stating that no new tax is involved, a question that was not resolved during the meeting.
A subsequent discussion focused on the need to get the information to the taxpayers as well as a perceived “trust gap,” described as the voters not believing that there would be no additional tax despite being told by the Administration that is the case.
Board Vice President Guy Cohen suggested going to community leaders and conveying the essence of the proposal - that the proposition, if defeated, could best be described as “you’re giving up a gift of $1 million.” Trustee Zarcone suggested the airing of several television shows on the matter.
Audience member Robert Canavan took issue with two aspects of the Aid discussion, first pointing out that since the funds could be used for buying laptops, not using the funds in that way could be viewed as having a cost since the computer monies would have to be found elsewhere.
The Board and Superintendent Gary Tutty later took issue with that example, noting that the District receives reimbursement on the laptops and would lose that if it used the State funds to purchase them, adding that the district currently uses the most cost effective means to purchase the laptops.
Canavan also took issue with some computations, a point that caused Paul Lee to correct himself within the context that Canavan laid out, which differs from the formula the State requires Lee to use.
Canavan pursued both issues, saying they spoke to issues of trust, adding that the issue was not so much taxes but how much the district is spending and how it is being spent.
The Board also decided upon a tentative date and times for the vote, determining the vote would take place February 13, 2007 from 2-9pm and choosing February 15 as a snow date.
The Board then dovetailed into a discussion of a budget strategy, trying to arrive at a loose framework within which to work on a budget and eventually deciding to increase next year’s budget by using 125 percent of the projected Consumer Price Index increase, which is expected to be 3 percent. The 2007-8 budget would then be 3.75 percent higher than the 2006-7 budget, yielding a tentative budget of $40,329,627.38, within which all expenses would have to be included.
The Board also discussed, as a means of communicating with the public better, the formation of a Budget Committee. Superintendent Tutty suggested a forum in which Board Trustees would not so much run the meetings as sit and listen to community input on what is important to them and construct the budget and make cuts accordingly, an idea that was supported by President Tina Mackay.
Trustee Mary Maus also noted that in 2006, assessments had come out two weeks prior to the budget and had had a negative impact, a point with which all trustees agreed.
Superintendent Tutty said that the Administration needed to be more proactive, reaching out to various community groups in order to find out how to make the budget communications more meaningful to them, also suggesting that targeted groups, such as students and seniors, be invited to the committee meetings.
In other business, the Make a Difference Club presented $1,000 donations to two different organizations. Sarah Regan, the Club’s Recording Secretary, explained that the source of the donations was the “Make a Difference Day,” including a “Stay Awakeathon” and “Kids Helping Kids.” The event was held on October 27 and resulted in raising over $4,000. One thousand dollars each had already been donated to two organizations, which Club Co-President Jackie Cestaro and Club Treasurer Tony Rush then spoke about.
Cestaro discussed her experience at Maria Ferari Children’s Hospital and the kindness she was shown while a patient, concluding that because of her experience she had been insistent that funds be donated to the hospital. The Club also participated in the Hospital’s “Radioathon,” which included Mike and Kacey from WHUD .
Rush spoke about the donation to Blythedale Children’s Hospital and the visit of Club members to the Hospital where they spoke and spent time with some of the children who would be “benefiting from this money.” Rush spoke movingly about one child who had “practically begged the teacher to have us sit next to him.” Ending his short speech, Rush said it was a “priceless” feeling knowing they had brightened the day of less fortunate children.
The final two $1,000 checks were then presented to Elise Elbrecht of Cardinal McCloskey Services, and to Thea Moeller and Doreen Piacente from the Putnam Valley Parks and Recreation Teen Program.
Another presentation that evening was made to Jackson Gilman-Forlini, who received a Pride in Putnam Valley award for his selection and participation in the American Choral Directors’ Association National Honor Choir in March 2007. Jackson-Forlini said that approximately 300-students had been invited to participate, with Jackson-Forlini one of nine from NYS.
The next meeting of the Putnam Valley Board of Education will be Thursday, December 21, at 7 pm.
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