Brewster Schools Budget Under Tax Cap, and Light Scrutiny
As budget season is full swing ahead, the Brewster Central School District is eyeing a budget once again under the tax cap, but not without some pushback from parents on how the funds are going to be spent.
With New York State aid still not at the level district officials and board members would like, the Brewster school system is proposing a budget that totals $89.9 million and has a tax levy increase of 2.18 percent. In order to stay under the cap, approximately 17 staff cuts are proposed, ranging from Brewster High School and Henry Wells Middle School, to transportation, library, and special education.
Brewster is also putting forth a bus proposition to voters, where seven new buses would be replaced, in which six are small and one is large. The total cost is $480,000 and is separate from the proposed budget.
School Business Administer Victor Karlsson said after the state budget passed, the district was able to reduce the proposed tax levy increase .1 percent. Karlsson added in order for the district to receive the state aid increase, the district must negotiate with the teachers association and formulate a teacher evaluation plan by November.
Superintendent of Schools Tim Conway said in 2008, there were the equivalent of 650 full-time positions within the district, but by next year, that number will have dropped to 595. “Obvious” and “easy” staff cuts, Conway said, were made years ago.
“We’re dealing with the (cuts) we’ve been putting off for several years,” Conway said. “Thought about it but said ‘no, we’re not going to go down this road.’”
One parent who spoke up, Joely Stano questioned the effectiveness of a district librarian going to two different schools during the day. Stano said with short staffing, she didn’t think CV Starr and JFK school students would receive the proper technology instruction with teacher assistants shouldering some of the responsibility.
Conway responded that students would receive a similar experience and that the experience is not dependent on any one person teaching the class. Conway also said the district is saving $83,000 by making the move.
Brewster Teachers’ Association president Elaine Karczmit requested the board take a second look at the current situation.
“Looking at it from the elementary library’s perspective, to divide (the librarian’s) time between two schools and approximately 55 sections and to be in charge of six grade levels, I’m not sure if that’s in the best interest of the kids,” Karczmit said.
Board of Education president Stephen Jambor said during the meeting many of the complications felt by the district are a result of the bruising mandates and lack of state aid to pay for them.
“We’re bleeding, it hurts,” Jambor said. “We are dying before your eyes, we are fighting a real fight to stay alive.”
Jambor said in an interview because the budget needs to be trimmed one way or another, some position would be reduced, leaving some residents unhappy. Because of the lack of needed state aid, Jambor said the only way to save money is to reduce or alter services. There are only bad choices, he stressed.
“Wherever the sword comes down, it’s going to be a lousy cut,” Jambor said.
