WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. January 9, 2006: Assistant Superintendent for Business Terrance Schruers informed the Board of Education Monday night that a preliminary survey of budget expenditures for 2006-07 showed expenses rising 8.34% or $12, 762,082. School District revenues for 2006-2007 were not estimated.

The expenditures were based on a barebones expenditure of what it would take to keep the district programs in place as they are presently, with no new programs and no increase in district personnel. A new certiorari payment of $4,489,893 was approved for the One North Broadway-455 Hamilton Avenue property.

Schruers reported the major increases were in the Teachers’ Retirement Contribution, up 45% or $1,854,093; Utilities, up $974,475  (31%); Debt, $1,566,870 (up 34%);Tuition, 403.000 (up 21%).

In Utilities, Schruers reports the district expects Electricity to rise 15%, fuel and natural gas, 21% next year. In 2005-2006 so far, Schruers said natural gas prices had risen 50% over last year and said that the district had not budgeted for such an increase. He said at the present pace for 2005-2006, the district is expecting a $250,000 overrun in Utilitiy costs for this year.

Health Insurance is up $ 1,250,660, or 7.9%, but the increases for three of the district’s health plans are not in yet, so this could go higher, Schruers said. Salaries (for all current positions) were projected to rise $4,617,652  (5.2%) Transportation $418,523 (6.8%), but that could increase because the bus company contract is being renegotiated.

The BOCES expense rise is pegged at $694,340 (or 8%), but this also could rise depending on test scoring contracts now being negotiated. The district is over budget by $125,000 for special education costs.

Cert Debt Mounts. $4.5 Million Cert Approved.

Schreurs said debt from certiorari bond payments would rise an estimated $2,321,837 in the 2006-07 budget. The new payments for debt on certiorari bonds add 1.5% to the budget. Without bonding for the certiorari payments the base budget increase in debt would amount to 6.74%.

In a related certiorari development, the School District approved (in Executive Session) a $4,489,893 certiorari payback to Metropolitan Life and White Plains Plaza on the One North Broadway-455 Hamilton office building. Last Monday night the city approved a $1,366,054 cert on the same property, and tonight the School District kicked in its share of the cert.

Bassano: Meet with City to

“Kick in their fair share.”

The Board of Education approved a Joint Facilities Agreement between the School District and the City of White Plains for another three years through 2007-2008.

Board member Bill Pollak said it was hard to tell what the Joint Facilities Agreement meant to the school district based on the way it was presented. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors pointed out that “tax collection was a big part of it.”

Peter Bassano, Board Member, asked if the Joint Facilities Agreement contained any city commitment to the District’s Five Year Facilities Improvement Plan the District was now considering (and will discuss their decisions on the $67 Million bond plan January 17).

Superintendent of Schools Connors said it did not.

Bassano offered the opinion  that now as a good time for the district to meet with the city to discuss how  the city could  “kick in their fair share” of the $67 Million in capital improvements the District foresees (though no decisions have been made on what projects to execute at this time).  Connors said he planned to discuss this with the Mayor, the city Recreation Commissioner, (Arne Abramowitz)  and Budget Director, (Ann Reasoner) and Commissioner of Public Works (Joseph Nicoletti) in the near future, but a date had not been set yet.