Nine comments, 30 minutes, $149 million school budget

Most speakers at M-W school budget hearing extol board’s efforts to control costs, By Bob Quinn Central Valley - The public’s first chance to comment on Monroe-Woodbury’s proposed $149 million budget for the school year lasted less than 30 minutes Wednesday evening. The public’s next - and last chance - to voice its opinion on how the district plans to operate will be at the polls on Tuesday, May 17, when residents will vote on the proposed budget, a second proposition to spend $977,500 to buy 10 new buses and to elect three people to the school board. Nine people, including the presidents of two of the district’s unions, spoke at Wednesday evening’s public hearing, held at the high school in Central Valley. Eight of them, in their ways, remarked on the district’s effort to keep spending increases less than one percent and the tax levy increase to 2.8 percent, without layoffs, program cuts or other disruptive measures other school districts within Orange and Rockland counties have been forced to make in this economy. The eighth, Woodbury Town Councilman Amidee Haviland, who is the town’s liaison to the school board, asked whether the proposed budget included money to cover a $6 million bond issued to pay for an operating deficit. School Board President Dr. Michael DiGeronimo broke with the board’s usual stance during public comment - listening but not responding to questions during the meeting - to advise Haviland that the $6 million bond had been issued several years ago and had been paid off. Sweet, sweet music Raymond Hodges, head of the teachers union, thanked the board for its diligence in “preserving staff and programs.” Several people described the budget as sensible and responsible. To defeat the proposal, one parent said, “will only take away from the students.” One of those students also spoke. Clayton Chan, a senior, said he first picked up the saxophone in fourth grade. He said he’s always felt that his teachers were just as concerned about his growth as a person as they were with his growth as a musician. The goal, he said, was to be as good as he could be. He then offered this analogy. If student gets a grade of 90 on a math test, that might be worthy of a spot on his parents’ refrigerator. But then he asked the board to think about music “where 10 percent of the song is wrong.” More is expected of us, he said. And he thanked the board for its continued support of the arts. Athletic Director George St. Lawrence, who also is head of the 27-member district’s administrators’ union, was the hearing’s last speaker. He described Superintendent Edward Mehrhof’s budget as “unique in this (economic) climate and in this region” because it maintained programs and staff without draconian measures. He urged residents to exercise their right to vote on May 17, adding, “This is a great school district.” Following the public hearing, the board dispatched several routine items with little discussion and unanimous votes. Roughly 30 minutes or so after it started, the meeting closed. School board members John Broderick and Ray Rivera were not at the meeting.

On the ballot
Proposition One
Asks voters to approve a $149,779,423 operating plan for the 2011-12 school year. This carries a spending increase of 0.9 percent over the current budget.
The unadjusted tax levy is $105 million; the recent increase in state aid will reduce that figure to $104,314,000. The overall tax increase would be 2.82 percent.
The budget includes $300,000 for capital projects, including the replacement of three boilers, a new venting system at one building, bathroom renovations at some buildings and the replacement of doors and windows at others.
Retirements and resignations reduced spending by about $5 million.
Proposition Two
Asks voters to approve spending $977,500 to purchase 10 new buses; New York State will reimburse 59 percent of the cost.
Contingency
If voters defeat the budget, the school board will adopt a contingency budget that would:
Reduce the $149 million proposed budget by $760,000.
Reduce the tax increase to 2.2 percent from 2.82 percent.
Online
Superintendent Edward J. Mehrhof’s budget recommendation is available online at the district’s Web site (www.mw.k12.ny.us).