STORY OPPORTUNITY PLEASE RELEASE: March 16, 2004 Board of Education reviews $1 million reductions, asks administration to look for cuts in other areas On Monday, March 15, the Scotia-Glenville Board of Education reviewed $1 million in cuts and asked the administration to explore other areas for reductions. "This is an ongoing process," said Superintendent Michael J. Marcelle. "We will continue to look for other areas of reductions as we review the proposed 2004-05 budget, We are looking for input from the public as we go through this process; we need to know what is important to our community." Future community forums will be held at 7 p.m. on Mondays, March 22, 29 and April 5. The board expects to adopt a budget by April 19; the vote is May 18. Marcelle expects to return on March 22 with other areas of possible cost savings. Michael J. Marcelle presented a preliminary budget totaling $38.06 million on March 1 that increased spending by $2.6 million or 7.5 percent and taxes by 12.4 percent. That figure includes no increase in state aid or town property assessments. The $1 million in reductions presented on Monday would bring the tax increase next year to 6 percent, again no including any increase in aid or property assessments. The majority of the proposed increases for 2004-05 are in three areas: employee benefits , an increase of $1.114 million or 18.8%; instruction, an increase of $994,440 or 4.7%; and central services , an increase of $402,033 or 7%. Many of this year's increases - health insurance and retirement costs - are mandated and must be paid; the district has no option but to find the money for them. Among the reductions proposed by the administration Monday night: • Most new additions from the Long Range Plan were eliminated. As well, supplies, equipment and professional development would be cut back to this year's levels. The three special education classes proposed for Glendaal, the MS and HS are still in the budget because they would SAVE the district money over sending the children to BOCES or a private program; • Summer curriculum work, intramural sports, club advisors (gr. 6-12), modified sports, elementary summer school and the proposed Young Scholars program would be eliminated. • Among staffing, the fitness center supervisor, 6.0 FTE K-12 positions, 0.4 FTE dean of students at the Middle School, 2.0 FTE library media specialists and 1.0 FTE "floating" teaching position would be cut. As well, a full-time OT/PT position and proposed half-time positions in guidance and a teaching assistant (the last two for the proposed MSP and HS Life Skills programs) and 2.0 proposed cleaners would also be eliminated. • Afterschool bus runs and the mid-day bus runs would be cut from transportation. That would effectively create a full-day kindergarten program, a change from the current transitional kindergarten program in place for the past few years. Also on Monday, the administration was asked to explore these areas in an effort to cut spending: • Class sizes in grades K-5; • GOAL/GED program at the high school; • Clerical services; • Administrative reductions, both instructional and non-instructional. The administration will return on Monday, March 22, with additional ideas for reducing the budget. MEDIA: For more information, Superintendent Michael J. Marcelle at 382-1215 or Robert Hanlon, Communications Office, at 386-4343