At Greenacres BOE Meeting, the Impending Budget Looms Large

On Monday night the Scarsdale Board of Ed held a meeting at Greenacres Elementary School with parents and residents of that neighborhood. The meeting’s agenda was fairly procedural; a review of the minutes and the approval of a gift of a large, $3,000 flat-screen TV with mount for the Middle School. The Board also presented an education report on World Class Teaching for World Class Learning. This was part of a series of education reports the Board is presenting to the community to illustrate how we can change the schools’ orientation to produce students who are not only curious, but take a sophisticated view of the world’s problems and are better able to design complex solutions to real world problems. It is something that has taken a lot of work and it is an initiative of which we can all be proud.

But the big news of the evening came early on when the parents at the meeting questioned Superintendent Michael McGill and the Board about the impending tax cap and what the budget may look like if an override doesn’t pass.

Without getting into too many specifics—actually with just broad strokes- McGill painted a fairly grim picture. He explained that last year he had outlined a budget that contained about $3.5 million in cuts and said that those who saw it were not pleased by the depth of these cuts. According to McGill, to comply with the tax cap, Scarsdale Schools would need to cut double that, or about $7 million. This would definitely lead to larger class sizes, cuts in all areas and increased out of pocket costs. To refresh, the legacy benefits and healthcare costs will exceed the 2.5% cap that Albany enacted.

When a parent asked if the community would be able to see this budget Board President Spieler agreed that while it is important for the community to see what kind of cuts are involved, she does not want to present a doomsday-type budget out of context. She fears that people will focus on the items affecting their children/schools and fail to see the broader picture of how each item could affect another.

In April 2011 Spieler presented a report titled “What happens to our schools with a tax cap.” This report outlines a couple scenarios. In one scenario the budget would need to be cut by nearly $8.4 million, eliminating:

• Plant improvements, roof and plumbing repairs
• Extracurricular clubs, arts activities and sports, community service
• Funding for the Teen Center and Student Outreach team
• Staffing for professionals and support positions

Though this was just one scenario, not the actual budget, it was a wake-up call to what could be down the line for the community.

The Board’s next step is to educate the community about what to expect if there is not sufficient community support for an override of the tax cap. Given today’s economic and political environment that could be a real possibility. McGill and Spieler stressed that educating children are their primary focus but it seemed clear that the cap is weighing heavily on their minds.

There will be community forums to discuss the matter and educate people on what to expect on January 11th and 18th, 2012. Details to follow.

Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.