Meeting didn't start until 8:10 and it went long. Dr. Marino was absent. I'll hit on the major items, because it's late....
There were several people there to present their concern regarding the field hockey booster club and the turf field usage. Apparently, NASD is considering changing the policy regarding Class A/B/C/D organizations and this would/could impact the Booster Club's ability to stage their tournament at the field in a couple weeks. At issue, is whether the even they are staging should be billed at the original Class rate or the new rate considering that the field will be used by "other" students from "other" schools. Much was made about how booster clubs typically provided services (and therefore facility use) for Nazareth kids but this would event would be different.
Ms. Rischoff presented an updated Budget for 08-09. Our real estate assessment numbers came back from the county, and as one might have expected given the slump in housing, they were lower than anticipated. NASD had budgeted an increase of 2.5% over last year and they came in at 1.85%. This will result in fewer revenues. Even considering the expected taxes from the currently empty warehouse on 248/33 and further teachers retiring than we anticipated among other things, we are (nearly) at the same place we were 2 months ago with respect to the budget and projections. NASD will tax at the index (5.38%) for next year and we expect to have to go to Referendum for the 09-10 budget (and every budget thereafter). It should be noted that these budget estimates include increases in real estate tax revenue of 1.85, 2.0, 3.0, 3.0 and 4.0% in each of the next 5 years. It remains to be seen what effect the slump in construction has on these estimates (e.g., are they accurate/realistic going forward?).
The new, updated budget documents should be on the district website soon, but let me present just a few numbers (projections are slightly "worse" than they were on Jan 14, 2008):
2010 - Revenues $63.1M, Expenditures $66.6M (-$3.5M)
2011 - Revenues $66.6M, Expenditures $70.5M (-$3.9M)
2012 - Revenues $70.4M, Expenditures $74.7M (-$4.3M)
2013 - Revenues $76.9M, Expenditures $82.2M (-$5.3M)
Tax increases necessary to balance the budget ABOVE THE INDEX for each year:
2010 - 9.74%
2011 - 10.10%
2012 - 10.25%
2013 - 11.58%
Mr. Lynch of D'Huy Engineering presented additional Facilities and Operations Considerations like change orders for the new MS construction, etc. There were several, but the BIGGIE was the additional $1M dollars NASD wants to spend to construct an access with pedestrian walkway and two-way traffic between the high school site and the new middle school site. It was stated that this was not in the original Act 34 documents for the new MS and would need to be funded as a separate, "stand-alone" capital project. Mr. Maher and Mr. Bradley questioned the need for this and whether a less expensive alternative would be feasible. Dr. Lesky stated that there was three main reasons for construction of this road (1) Bus Traffic, (2) Pedestrian Safety and (3) Maintaining/Creating "one campus".
Dr. Lesky presented an abbreviated report due to the lateness. NASD has a working schedule for next year's school year. I didn't get a copy, but pertinent dates are as follows (NASD will go back to starting school before Labor Day):
K-6-9 Orientation: Aug 25th
First day of School: Aug 26th (Tues)
(students would go to school T-Th for the first week and have the Friday before Labor Day off)
Oct 13-14: No School (In service days)
Spring Break would continue to be a full week (w/ Easter Monday off). Apparently, parents wanted the full week (+ Easter Monday) while teachers wanted less time off during Spring Break (because remember, they go long after the kids are out of school). A well thought (IMHO) compromise was made to let the kids have the entire week off, but teachers have the M-W as development days.
Last Day of School (w/o any snow make-ups): June 5th
Teachers Last Day of School: June 9th
Dr. Lesky also presented a letter that was received from the manufacturer of the new turf field. As I stated in another thread, the type of field we have at NASD does NOT have a lead issue.
I've probably missed something. If anybody needs additional details, let me know...
Meeting adjourned at 10:30 PM
1 comment:
All along we were told we needed this 'campus' and yet no one until now gave any consideration as to how one could safely navigate from one building to another? And a lack of doing so adds another $1M to the project - doesn't seem like this was well thought out.
I'm also not surprised to see that the week long 'spring break' is because of the parents requests. I'm not sure how this is quantified, but it seems whenever something comes up, the admin doesn't step up and say we made the decision, they instead say they are acting based on the people.
Same as the building was the choice of the people, the pool was the choice of the people, now spring break.
Can no one make a decision in the best interest of the entire district?
The tax rates and deficit spending are obsene and yet every time a new want comes up the district says okay, approves it, and later says hey don't blame us we did what they wanted us to do - wasn't our idea.
Where is the leadership?
Post a Comment