With the world seemingly roiling around it, the Ramapo Central School District has been a refuge of academic excellence and diverse student activities and programs. Parents and students alike have enjoyed the fruits of state grants and federal grants, as well as expanding school budgets. Now the cuts are coming.
After the proposed Phase I program cuts for Ramapo Central School District, to help bridge a $10 million dollar budget gap, will come Phases II through IV, including teacher and support staff cuts.
During another round of school board budget workshopping, Ramapo Central Assistant Superintendent for Business Kelly Seibert, along with Superintendent Douglas Adams, presented to the Board of Education what was termed Phase I, or non-personnel, proposed reductions for the 2013-14 budget year. And life in good old Ramapo Central just won’t look the same if some of these cuts are implemented.
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 of more than $250,000 that include some club advisors and department chairs at district schools. Field trip elimination means all district sponsored outings, including the popular overnight stay at Camp Mariah. Slashed summer school programs include high school and summer readiness programs.
It’s unclear whether proposed cuts will mean the end to popular activities and clubs that provide an outlet for organized student community service, or whether they will involve such things as the Fall Play and Spring Musical for both the middle and high school, or athletic programs. The proposed specific extra duty reduction goals represent only a portion of all specific extra duty expenses within the schools— principals and administrators are still working to finalize where reductions will be made.
School Board President Craig Long said the proposed Phase I cuts are the direct result of the state’s 2% tax cap. Long said that he understands proposed program cuts will upset district parents — but, he said, Ramapo Central had been sheltered from cuts in the past. The equation, he suggested, basically comes down to either cuts or busting the tax cap to maintain current district offerings. Long also said that not all district taxpayers would welcome an increase in property taxes to cover escalating school costs.
Thomas Kaplan from the The New York Times reported Wednesday that 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. According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, 642 of 678 — or about 95% — of districts stayed within the tax cap last year.
The recommended Ramapo Central Phase I program cuts will account for a total of $1.8 million in district savings. But these budget deliberations are only the beginning. Ramapo Central’s rollover budget deficit stands at approximately $10 million dollars, which means if all staff and programming from the current budget year were carried over — the cost to cover everything would involve a big budget gap. The Phase I proposal also includes a 2.31% tax levy increase (the highest allowable by law), use of $1.5 million in district reserve funds and BOCES refund reductions that, together, would reduce the overall deficit to $5 million dollars.
Dr. Adams said that Phases II through IV will involve teacher and support staff cuts.
Why the sudden appearance of a large district budget gap? Well, it’s not quite so sudden. The answer involves complex budgeting projections, but a sharp rise in district retirement benefit costs coupled with contracted salary increases account for some $7 million dollars of the deficit. Altogether, the budget shortfall is due to these rising costs as well as potential revenue reductions for the 2013-14 year and state mandated — but sometimes unfunded — curriculum. The big deficit tickets, though, are the retirement benefit costs and contracted salaries.
The next Ramapo Central School Board budget workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5 at district headquarters in Hillburn. Although an open meeting, the board does not take questions from the public at the Budget Workshop. Board President Craig Long said the public will have time to question the board when the final proposal is in place.
The above photo includes Ramapo Central school board members Theresa DiFalco, Pamela Frederick, Superintendent Douglas Adams, President Craig Long, and Thomas Bollato.
