Summary of Comments at the Public Budget Hearings

Here is a summary of comments made at four community forums held by the Board of Education as it formulates a budget for the 2003-04 school year. At each forum, 75 to 125 parents, students, staff and community members were in attendance.

Comments made on March 10th are in black ink
Comments made on March 17th in green are ink
Comments made on March 24th are in red ink
Comments made on March 31 are in blue ink

State and Taxes
There have to be trade-offs in the state budget; more here means less somewhere else
We need to contact our State legislators
We need more ideas:
Letter writing to legislators
Talk to legislators
Visit Albany
Unfunded mandates—NCLB
Others pay 45% less than we do
Would support tax increase to use our renovated facilities
Concerns about raising taxes
Need to get the job done using less money
8%-14% too high unless we get help from the State
Frustration on expenditures-need to talk about employee costs and benefits
Taxpayers should not have to plead
Get the actual dollar amount of the tax rate out to the public
Pleased with tax rate projection
We are seeing impact of 9/11 and the stock market crash
There should be a differential tax rate for stay-at-home vs. two-paycheck families
Keep long-range vision
More than 5% tax increase is too much
Do not focus on just the tax rate. Look at it as an educational plan
Different tax rate for workers and senior citizens
Run to the right!
Give tax info in dollar amounts, not %
National average is $900 a year in school taxes
S-G has taken a step forward
Don’t pinch pennies and lose a dollar

Questions
How much $ is saved by contingent cuts?
What can we charge fees for? –sports/programs, etc.
Fees—what can we charge students for?
Can local businesses make charitable contributions to the district?
Who makes the mandates?
Bus proposition—what are the total operating costs for the new buses?

Voting
A large number of voters are not parents of students in our schools
We need to get our parents to vote
Need to get senior citizens, etc informed/involved
Need to make people aware of what teachers and students do for the community:
GIVE
Dress Down Day money goes to needy families
The school is the center of our community-we need to approach people who are not here tonight
Parents do not ‘bargain shop’ for education
Preliminary budget-move it forward
Preliminary budget-move it forward
Board has taken a common-sense approach
The people are the key. Let us decide
Inform the public
Offer fundraising on the ballot
Inform the general public
Offer information in a positive manner that is easy for the public to understand
Fixed income families may not have options

Where can we look for cuts?
Look at costly sports programs
Consider the GED program for cuts
Increase class size at Senior High School
Administrative costs need to be considered
Eliminate bus runs in the village
Leave no classroom teacher behind
Look deeper
Consider mandates and student participation
Make cuts permanent
Address the big picture
Cut teacher salaries 5-10%
Fitness Center position
Hall/door monitors—can they do more?
Number of bus runs in the village
Dig deep, find cuts, make them permanent
$1,000,000 in cuts is unacceptable
Teachers Union is not participating
Everyone needs to give
Costs must be driven down
S-G Administrative costs are $1,000 per student-cut these costs
Support staff salaries are in line with the national average
Cut the Tartan Report and the yellow postcards
We need to take a look at how we pay people and spend our money

What Instructional Programs to Keep?
Keep GIVE
AP Classes are needed
Need AP/Honors classes
Elementary is taking a big hit in the contingency budget
Need a good foundation
Keep class size low
Elementary field trips are important
We need advisors for clubs
Class size is important
There is a need for AV/Tech support
Honors and AP are needed for college
Art/music/AP are important-S-G would go downhill
There are good teachers at S-G
AP needed
Late Buses are needed
Summer school is needed
AEP/Honors/AP/Sports are needed for equitable education
Keep LMS/music/art in the Elementary schools-same amount of time
S-G has made an investment in the Middle School concept/philosophy and teaming is the heart of the Middle School.
LMC—crucial for our programs
Sports/music/art—very important—will cost us later if we cut now
Get more students in AP courses so that they have enough enrollment
Keep the librarian/media specialists
Look at the impact of Foreign Language, Family Consumer Science, Tech etc on the 6th grade program. It reaches 250 students.
Please that the Board has made AP classes a priority
Proposed elementary class size is reasonable
Glad that LMS positions have been restored. They affect every student and teacher in the district.
AP classes are very important
Middle School has positive aspects
Do not reduce MS programs (team teaching/other programs)
Middle School has many benefits
Need to implement key elements of MS
Do not reduce MS computer courses, Family Consumer Science, Foreign Language
Need to make a commitment to the Middle School
AP classes are very important
Library media centers are crucial elements of our schools

Concerns
Impact on class size
Class size is a core issue that needs to be considered
Class size-smaller groups are beneficial
Concern over the rise in the cost of salaries
Concern over taking away sports, enrichment, music-we are taking away the building blocks
Class sizes are low enough
Teacher benefits
Consequences of AP cuts
Need to look at the whole picture: Education is crucial
Contact legislators
Private school prices for public school education
Every social structure is feeling ‘the pain’ that is in the world. Education should be excluded and not feel the pain. Do not sacrifice education because of the fiscal crisis.
911 is the cause of our problems
Middle School and elementary school are important. They are the building blocks for the future-academically and socially
School system reduction is a loss to the community
Reducing the maintenance budget is wrong
Don’t forget the facilities committee
S-G spends $11,600 per student—other states do more with less
Costs need to be reduced and teacher salaries are the key
Everything schools do for students is good but how much can we pay for?
Teachers give 100%.
We live in a different world but school is still important
Teachers do a great job
Children need to be exposed to as much as possible

Options
What options are out there?
Options/ ideas need to come from students
Library/media centers can be run by volunteers
Sports and clubs can charge fees
Everyone should sacrifice, including students.
Everyone has to give something to make it work-school/community/students
What can be done about teachers’ salaries?
Charging students?
Link with neighboring schools for extracurricular activities
Open campus
Connect with other municipalities to share/save costs
BOE must take a more active role in negotiations
Negotiations should not be confidential
LMC’s-use parent volunteers
Follow the Fairport resolutions to rebel against the state
Sports are very important but there are other options like the Y and church groups
Elimination or reduction does not mean that quality must suffer
AP classes can be taught by community college professors

Sports and Extracurricular Activities
Sports and extracurricular activities keep kids off streets
Extracurricular activities are needed or the school goes down
Sports are important
Elimination of modified and JV sports is not good
They are needed for varsity programs
Scholarship opportunities will be gone
Choralaires-next year is their 50th anniversary
They are needed for the future
Choralaires and Drama Club present opportunities for students
AP/Honors/Sports/Extracurricular-provide the same opportunities for present and future students as you did for students in the past.
Look at costly sports programs to eliminate
Drama Club is important
Extracurricular is important
Extracurricular are needed
Sports are needed
Loss of sports, band,orchestra, intramurals, student council, field trips, AEP,
LMC’s computers is too much
Do not cut 7th grade sports programs
Provide same opportunities for current 7th graders
Best option is for students to be in school from 3-4:00 p.m.
Sports and after school activities keep kids off the streets
Well-rounded students can do better in college
Sports are taking a higher % reduction
Sports are important
After school programs are needed-children need a support system
Save the sports program
7th Grade modified sports—look for additions, not reductions
Important part of Middle School-helps self-esteem-dropping it would be terrible
Dropping scrimmages and non-league games would cut out valuable learning experiences
Do not eliminate any sport-they are as important as AP classes
Sports and extracurricular activities—continued
We have good coaches and it is fun for students
Do not eliminate invitationals-S-G students got medals at Yale and Dartmouth
Modified sports are the introduction to competitive sports
Modified sports are important for students
Support the sports program
Same opportunities should be available for all children
Needed for well-rounded children
Teaches leadership
Keep as many students involved in sports as possible
7th grade teams are needed
keep opportunities open for all students
Children need sports and extracurricular activities
We need to occupy children with healthy activities