I can't say if I think a zero percent increase would be appropriate, but I understand the thinking - especially with the way they've presented everything. It's as if they have been trying to give so little information, and present it so confusingly, that they don't want us to understand.
They are at best doing a poor job communicating their needs. With all due respect to taxpayer, a statement like
I am SO not a numbers/budget person
may be precisely what they might be hoping for - to say that anyone who doesn't understand the numbers isn't paying attention to the school needs blah blah blah, in order to deflect/discount a valid question.
Here's my long winded take so far. They are asking for roughly $102K more than last year, or 0.87%
As for
insurance costs looking to come in at $90K less than expected
I don't believe that means $90K less than last year. It means only a 2.57% increase instead of much more. The 90K number was a reduction from the 1.42% init given for discussion, to the 0.87% overall they voted to send to the BOF. Insurance is still budgetted to increase by $41K from last year's budget.
As,
and no increases going to the teachers for 2011/12
this means that the whole schedule is not going up - teachers are not getting COLA increases, but most are still getting their longevity increases, which typically are around 2% to 3% per year until they reach 10 or 15 years. I haven't looked at the schedule in a few years, but it is clear that Hebron has hired several new teachers per year over the last several years, so I'd guess that most have not maxed out at the top end of the schedule. So most of the teachers who are left will get a raise again next year due to length of service.
But, there will be fewer teachers needed than last year due to declining enrollment, so while the certified staff line item will be reduced, other staff line items are expected to increase. The "maintenance budget" of 0.67%, is as requested by the BOS/BOF, intended to show what it would cost to keep existing class sizes and programs, etc., as they are currently, without any changes.
On top of that, the BOE requested $3000 for videotaping, and I generally support this request -especially if it means getting some information out to the public - it would at the minimum let us know when BOE has material discussion on various issues, but it won't solve the problem of the BOE members looking at hidden documents that they don't share with the public, and comments only along the lines of "gee, line 14 looks okay, but line 15, gosh, good job" - while the public in attendence at meetings has no idea what numbers they are looking at. They also have not addressed potentially holding their meetings elsewhere, where equipment and a recorder are already available - can they save 3 grand that way and still meet the public's request?
They also asked for $31,200 for a database to replace the failing database they previously had. They claim this is required by state law, and it may be. It seems like a heck of a lot of money for something like that, and I question why they can't use Microsoft Office and Access. It would take a competent person - perhaps a bright student - maybe a weekend to put together. To my knowledge, the state requires a functioning student database, but it does not clearly indicate what that fully means. I admit I don't understand what they mean by describing the current database as "failing" - and of course the board meeting minutes and information online do not give any meaningful detail. I would hope the BOF/BOS question that specific request in detail - if it is justified, then I would support it. I would hope they can shed some light on the alternatives they reviewed prior to requesting this additional expense. I also hope they ask some of the questions I posed earlier - still no response by the BOE.
Bottom line - to me, I think it is still way too early to determine whether or not to support the 0.87% budget increase requested by the BOE. Much less, it is hard to tell how bad the zero percent budget would really be?
If they had given any of the line item budget detail ahead of time, perhaps these and other questions could have been looked at, asked, and answered in the public forums and board meetings, and recorded in the meeting minutes.
I have a sick feeling that with the nasty weather we're having, there won't be any surplus this year, especially given the additional expense noted on the BOE website today. Looks like we're on the hook for a roof snow removal expense, and structural engineer investigation expense. I fully support the need to keep the students and staff safe, especially in the garbage portable classrooms. I wonder if the BOE has any insurance that might cover any of this additional expense. Worse, I understand they are putting the students in the gym, what happens if the gym roof falls?
Seems to me we might have been better off building a real addition years ago - instead of getting the portables? If they are the garbage that many think they are - recall the mold problems earlier - what will happen when they have to be replaced? If I recall correctly, we are only permitted to have them for a limited time and still qualify for state reimbursement of some of the cost. How long before they ask us for another 10-12 million or so for a new building?
I have not heard back on the questions I submitted earlier -
But with the info on the website, at least we now have the "what" without the "why".
Specific questions I would like to see the BOF/BOS address are the following -
What alternatives could be considered for items that haven't been changed?
Have administration costs been reconsidered? Why do we need a curriculum director - might we be better off with a consulting firm reviewing the curriculum every 3rd year or so? Perhaps cut the costs by a third. What's the fallback plan in the event ECS or stimulus money is not restored? Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail.How were decisions made on potential cuts last year? Were there budgetary "scare tactics" used, as some community members have charged? Consider the surplus in the heating oil account - why was that not known by the late May referendum?
Why was administration apparently not considered for cuts last year?
Why the refusal to provide the community with any meaningful detail in board meeting minutes? Does the BOE believe what we don't know won't hurt us?
The Supt. Blog last year provided an opportunity for community dialog in the budget process, and sharing of information. What happened to the loads of questions that were submitted but were never responded to? The community priority survey was a joke - with no controls on who voted how often. Would they reconsider doing a survey with effective controls?What have they learned from last year's process, that they are applying to this year? The BOS/BOF requested multiple budgets from each dept, including the BOE. We understand the BOE is not obligated under state law to provide anything other than a single proposed budget. In the interest of keeping the community informed, what is the sense of the board as to how serious they are about the priority of reductions to get to a zero percent budget.If the ECS/stimulus funding is not replaced, what would the impact be - what would they propose to cut? If they might have to cut as much as another 4-5%, what would a half-million dollar cut look like to them?How has the current bad weather affected this year - will they be coming back for more? For other departments, the BOS does a review as to how close the current year's budget compares to actual. Why are the following areas more than $10,000 off from their current year budget? Textbooks, Tuition, SPED Trans, Transportation, Comp_Lease, Other_Svcs, Legal, WC, Insurance, Para, Pre-school, Certified
If they are that far off, how good do they feel about the projected budget?
If anyone thinks these are questions that the BOS/BOF should ask the BOE, feel free to pass them on. I don't have confidence that my earlier e-mail to the Supt. was even read, but if the BOS/BOF asks them, they are more likely to get a response than I am. Plus, the BOS/BOF meeting minutes are much more detailed, so we might actually see their answers.
My crystal ball predicts that the BOS/BOF will at least allow the taxpayers to vote on the BOE's presented budget, but if it fails, they will slash it to zero.
That's probably enough from me for now.
