All eyes were on Ramapo Central Assistant Superintendent for Business Kelly Seibert as he ran through school district budget facts and figures, projecting them on a big screen for the crowded room to see. It was not a pretty picture for a school district that has experienced personnel and program growth and stability over the last few years.
President of the Ramapo Teachers Association John Canty stepped up to the podium Tuesday night and said, “I think it’s time to bust the cap,” referring to the NY state cap on property tax increases.
The district’s Hillburn board meeting room was filled to capacity Tuesday night with anxious teachers and parents in attendance to hear school Superintendent Dr. Douglas Adams present the plan to close Ramapo Central’s projected $10.7 million deficit for 2013-14. With the room filled to capacity, people crowded together in the doorway while others stood in the hallway or sat on benches listening to the proceedings inside.
Speaking to the audience, Superintendent Adams said that the district faced “a significant deficit that needs to be addressed.”
Board of Education President Craig Long added that the district’s budget responsibilities ultimately fall to the board — but you elected us to make these difficult decisions, he said.
As things stand, the district’s plan to close the budget gap involves a series of proposed measures that include a tax levy increase of 2.01 percent, use of $1.5 million in reserve funds (which would leave the district with $1.7 million in reserves), and budget reductions through programming and personnel cuts.
Taken together, these proposed budget measures would still leave a projected budget deficit of $1.7 million. The next budget workshop would involve a Phase IV round of reductions that include cuts in teaching staff to meet the remaining budget gap.
Significant district cost drivers are increases in retirement benefits coupled with contracted salary increases that together account for some $7 million dollars of the deficit. Programs set for the chopping block include the elimination of summer school, field trips, the Family Resource Center, Homework Club, and specific extra duty reductions. Personnel cuts discussed included elementary library staff, teaching assistants, social workers, instructional technology staff, special education monitors, a school psychologist, a speech language therapist, a guidance counselor, and a school nurse.
After the special budget workshop ended and the school board meeting convened, the BOE allowed public comments. One by one various people from the community walked to the microphone.
A Montebello lunchroom supervisor stressed the importance of social services, saying that special education monitors and social workers make enormous unseen contributions — they are the support staff that help maintain order with many children, he said.
John Canty president of the Ramapo Teachers Association (RTA) finally took the podium to appreciative murmurs and said, “I think it’t time to bust the cap.” Canty referred to NY State law that caps annual increases in local property taxes. Canty said it’s time for the community to communicate in force with the district’s representatives, including Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt and Senator David Carlucci.
“Our representatives need to hear from us in large numbers,” he said.
Recently the New York State teachers’ union filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of New York’s cap on annual increases in local property taxes. The New York State United Teachers suit asserts that the tax cap trumps home rule and control of schools, as well as creates inequities in districts because wealthy schools are more able to override the cap — tax cap overrides by BOEs require 60 percent of voter support for the measure.
Superintendent Adams said that to maintain current district personnel and programming, the district would have to enact a 10.6% tax levy increase, which would amount to an approximately 3% property increase.
A Suffern resident and former school board member took to the podium, turned to the room and said the entire community had historically supported budget increases. All of all of us voted for these budgets over the years, he said, adding that in his opinion, collective bargaining has created the current budget crisis.
The proposed 2013-14 district spending plan calls for $129.6 million, a 1.97% or $2.5 million increase over the current $127 million budget, assuming reductions. The board will hold two additional budget workshop, March 19 and April 2, before the BOE votes to adopt a final budget on April 16, which will then go to voters May 21. There are appoximately 4,500 students in the Ramapo Central school district, which serves Airmont, Hillburn, Montebello, Sloatsburg, Suffern, Tallman, and parts of Monsey.
