Budget details down to final trims BY MARY MARTIALAY Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Mary Martialay at 395-3113 or marym@dailygazette.com.      Should the Scotia-Glenville Board of Education cut teacher training right before hundreds of students face new state tests? Combine three fifth grade classes into two — each with 30 students apiece? Deny athletes as much as half their game schedule? Or risk a 6 percent tax increase and the wrath of taxpayers?     Parents and coaches at Monday’s budget hearing pleaded with board members to spare their children the proverbial ax, but when board president Margaret Smith asked the crowd to talk about what taxpayers will bear, the crowd paused.     "I think the people in this room are more likely to support a higher tax rate," said Michelle Kraines, the first person to answer Smith’s call. "The people who vote ‘no’ aren’t in this room."     But it’s the people who vote ‘no’ that have the Board of Education most concerned.     The board will continue deliberations — and likely complete the budget — at a meeting on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Scotia-Glenville Middle School. The budget will face a public vote on May 17.     The three items on the block amount to less than $100,000 total. A contingency budget, the only recourse if the budget is twice rejected, would force $1.7 million in cuts.     As it stands now, the proposed 2005-2006 schools budget is just over $40 million an increase of $2.7 million — or 7.26 percent — over last year. The two largest increases are in instruction (which includes salaries) which would increase $1.4 million, and a $1 million increase in employee benefits including state-set payments to the Teacher Retirement System and Employee Retirement system.     The budget as is includes $14,000 to pay for teacher training, and $15,000 to pay for nonleague games and scrimmages throughout the district. Those items were added when another budget item proved unnecessary.     But the roughly $55,000 to pay for a new elementary teacher has not been added to the budget for fear it would drive the tax increase over 6 percent.     With the budget as is, tax rate would increase 5.95 percent. On an average home valued at $100,000, taxes would increase $164 from about $2,750. Voters have approved recent tax rate increases hovering around 5.4 percent, and Smith said anything above 5.9 percent is outside the board’s "comfort zone."     But without the new teacher, the district faces some unpleasant options, one of which would be reducing the fifth grade at Glendaal Elementary School from three sections to two, each with about 30 students. The board could also reduce the first grade at Sacandaga Elementary School from three sections to two. At the hearing, several Glendaal parents spoke against the move.     "I don’t see how we can reach our most important goals by having classes of up to 30 kids," said Denise Fraioli. "Who’s to say that at fifth grade we should cut them loose? That at fifth grade they can handle classes of up to 30 people? "     Patricia Johnson, president of the Scotia-Glenville Teacher’s Association urged the board to abandon a hard line on tax increases in favor of the disputed programs.     "No matter where we decide to cut, a position, a group of parents will come in and say ‘please don’t do this to my child,’ " Johnson said. "I can’t believe you can’t find it in your hearts to put in that 0.25 percent."     But parent Mark Stockman, the only speaker in a crowd of about 50 people to speak in favor of reining in taxes, said that unpleasant as it might be, he would support the board in standing fast.     "I can find it in my heart to add dozens of teachers. I can’t find it in my wallet," Stockman said. "If costs are going to keep going up, we’re going to have to cut somewhere."