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Putnam Valley School District Projects Revenues $696,000 Over Estimate; Expenses $1.073 Million Less than Budgeted
District meeting standards of No Child Left Behind Act
by Margaret Sternberg
At the January 18, 2007 meeting of the Putnam Valley Board of Education, Assistant Superintendent for Finance Paul Lee presented his quarterly update on the status of the District's budget. Lee announced that as of the fiscal year's midpoint, December 31, 2006, the district is projecting for $696,083 more in revenue than was originally budgeted for the full school year 2006-7.
Lee attributed most of the additional revenue to four circumstances: $300,000 in unanticipated interest, due to rising interest rates; $225,000 due to the attendance in the district of four tuition-paying students; $50,000 in state aid, and $50,000 in refunds of the prior year's expenses.
In addition, under the expense area, the District appears to be on target for under-spending for the full fiscal year by approximately $1.073 million.
Of the savings in expenditures, approximately $941,000 is in the instructional area. Lee said that, in the area of regular education, a number of teachers had gone on leave and that money had been saved on the replacements, whose salaries were substantially lower than that of the teachers. In the area of special education, approximately $475,000 had been saved due to fewer out-of-district placements.
Lower spending than had been anticipated on health and retirement benefits also contributed to savings in expenses.
In other business, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Barbara Fuchs discussed the district's results for the 2005-6 school year under the No Child Left Behind Act. Schools and districts are evaluated on the basis of progress made in four subgroups made up individually of 40 or more students: all ethnicities; English language learners; the economically disadvantaged and Special Education.
In the subgroups evaluated, results in the elementary and middle schools showed "adequate yearly progress" had been made; high school results had not yet been received. Fuchs said that because the subgroups had all made "adequate yearly progress," the district was considered "in good standing."
For the third time in as many meetings, the Board discussed the impending vote on state Excel Aid. A draft explanation on the Excel vote was printed in Spotlight for the purpose of eliciting feedback from the public on making the explanation as simple and understandable as possible for the community. The Board requested feedback by early the following week due to the vote being scheduled for February 13.
The Board also formally accepted Superintendent Gary Tutty's resignation, saying they were sad in having to do so and sorry that he was leaving, but that his decision was understandable.
In the ongoing topic of getting community input on the 2007-8 budget, although a document had been prepared with suggestions on the budget timeline, the public forum's structure and suggested content, the Board has not been able to come to any conclusions and said they would get back to Superintendent Tutty with their opinions.
The Board also announced that forums were scheduled to be held by BOCES with various groups for input regarding the selection of the new district superintendent, however, Board president Tina Mackay later told the PCN&R that the meetings had been cancelled due to the Regents and other exams being held that week. Mackay said the Board was hoping to reschedule the meetings for January 31.
The next meeting of the Putnam Valley Board of Education will be Thursday, February 1, at 7pm.
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