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Haldane Preliminary Budget Shows Estimated Tax Increase of 6.84 Percent
Dr. Mark Villanti appointed Superintendent
by Margaret Sternberg
Incoming Superintendent Dr. Mark Villanti (L) being greeted by outgoing Superintendent Dr. John Di Natale (R) in the Superintendent's office.
At its March 20, 2007 meeting the Haldane Board of Education continued its discussion of the 2007-8 budget, which shows a proposed tax increase for the district of 6.84 percent.
The Board is currently working with a preliminary total budget figure of $18,834,079, which represents a $1,304,489 increase over the 2006-7 budget of $17,529,590.
During the greater part of the meeting, the Board discussed how they arrived at their numbers in the areas of unfunded mandates, transportation, technology operations and maintenance, and debt service and benefits.
The district's unfunded mandates amount to an estimated $3,691,401, or almost 20 percent of the district's entire 2007-8 budget. Of this, Special Education services account for $762,839. Other programs, including Reading Lab, Academic Services at the secondary level and Occupational Education are responsible for another $575,681 in costs. The district expects to spend $54,851 on mandated reporting, of which most of the funds go toward record keeping and training. Over $106,000 is spent in the area of Health and Safety, and close to $700,000 is spent on transportation; almost half of the total accorded to out of district special education bus runs. By far the biggest expense, however, is the $1,119,489 in required contributions to the retirement systems, part of a total $1,366,855 in miscellaneous requirements.
Technology spending rises 10.45 percent under the 2007-8 budget, and the proposal allows for five desktop replacement computers in the district office and middle school/high school attendance office, two laptops to replace those of the superintendent and the head of buildings and grounds, ink cartridges for the networked laser printers and replacement batteries for the mobile lab.
The technology budget also allows for the purchase of curriculum mapping equipment, which enables the district to determine what is taught as it actually occurs in the classroom, understand how students are being taught, make appropriate, immediate modifications to the curriculum, and determine why certain performance results have been achieved.
Benefits spending increases 9.0 percent in 2007-8. All of the increases seen in this area, in which spending increases $354,127, are mandated, with the biggest increase coming in the cost of health insurance, and other increases seen in the retirement systems, union and CSEA welfare, and the workers compensation, unemployment and disability insurance areas.
Debt service is the one area seeing a decrease from the current to the upcoming school year. The budget decreases 7.05 percent, due to paying down of debt.
The discussion on transportation revealed that the school will need to replace two buses and one van, a result of the almost 292,000 miles the bus fleet travels annually. The 2007-8 transportation budget increase currently is slated to be 12.89 percent over the actual 2006-7 budget. Superintendent Dr. John Di Natale said that it had been recommended that the district commission a transportation study in order to find ways of economizing. One area that would be scrutinized would be the bus routes and whether consolidation and elimination of some stops could take place.
The biggest budget-to-budget increase was seen in the "operations" area, which sees a 47.55 percent increase. A one-time expense of $50,000 for the removal of an oil tank and surrounding soil accounted for a significant portion of the increase, as well as accounting moves from other areas to "operations." A $6,250 expenditure for air conditioning equipment for the server room was characterized as "vital" in order to prevent the servers from overheating and a resulting debacle with the school's computer system.
The meeting also saw the official announcement of the district's new superintendent, Mark Villanti. Dr. Villanti is currently in his sixth year as superintendent of the Duanesburg Central Schools, a district of 960 students in Schenectady County. Under Dr. Villanti the district received Standard and Poors recognition because of spending efficiencies and academic performance.
Dr. Villanti has over 15-years administrative experience, including as principal of John Jay High School, and has served in a variety of administrative and guidance positions in his 13 years with the Wappingers Central School District.
Villanti received glowing recommendations from all Board of Education members, with many commenting on his qualifications and background, his selfeffacing and approachable manner, and most ending their remarks that he is the "real deal."
The Board said a date will be arranged for a reception for the community to meet Dr. Villanti and his wife, Elizabeth. Dr. Villanti's conditional appointment as Superintendent of Schools for a three-year term beginning July 9, 2007 was approved unanimously contingent upon a satisfactory background check and several like items.
In the only other item of the evening, a presentation was given by the Haldane Playground Committee on the renovation project. The project, which involves some reconfiguration of the playground, general renovations and the purchase of additional equipment, is expected to cost $92,750 and include both the elementary and middle school playgrounds. The $30,100 cost to renovate the middle school playground was termed "very preliminary," whereas many of the elementary school playground costs had been confirmed.
Elementary School Principal Maggie Davis said the Playground Committee as well as the Haldane School Foundation and the PTA are looking at ways of raising the funds, aware the monies do not exist within the budget, and were coming before the school board for their "blessing" to proceed. In addition to the usual forms of fundraising, the group is looking at a possible grant from Lowe's and/or assistance through an internet organization. Donations, Davis said, are expected to play a large part in reaching their financial goal, and local and state legislators had been contacted for possible government assistance on the project. The Board, on an informal basis, agreed with the project proceeding, but a formal vote was not taken.
Apropos of the project, resident Linda Schaeffer asked whether the basketball court could be moved. Schaeffer, who lives adjacent to the south side of the court, complained of rap music and abusive and vulgar language she could hear from children who used the court after school. She said the sounds could be heard from anywhere within her house and said the issue made it "difficult to live there." Although there was much discussion of possible changes, including where the court could be moved, no other viable options were found. One of the biggest issues was the concern that children might run into the streets without looking in order to retrieve basketballs.
In another brief discussion, Superintendent Di Natale announced that he would be contacting the county about some way of addressing the dangers posed by the area of Route 9 and East Mountain Road South due to the recent serious accident that had taken place as well as several near-accidents.
The next meeting of the Haldane Board of Education will be Tuesday, April 10, at 7pm.
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