WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. February 9, 2006: Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR, after the school district annual budget committee convening last night,  that he had met with Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains Wednesday morning to ask city aid for the $67 Million Capital Project the district is considering.

Mayor Joseph Delfino, left, and Timothy Connors, Superintendent of Schools, shown in October when the Capital Projects Plan was first presented to city officials. Donna McLaughlin, School Board President is in background. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

He reports the Mayor is considering ways the city can help, but a city decision on participating in the school upgrade does not appear likely before the decision to approve the bond is made.  Connors told the CitizeNetReporter the Mayor would consider how the city could support it – but the Mayor made no commitment of city money transfusions, in outright cash or joint bonding at this time.

 Councilman Glen Hockley, the only Councilperson to attend the kickoff series of the District’s Annual Budget Committee meeting last night, proposed the city and school district meet quarterly in a public forum to discuss financial issues both bodies face and how they could work together to stop the dollar drain of the School District and the city  that became apparent to the Annual Budget Committee last night.

The Project

The $67 Million borrowing, under consideration to be put to the public as a referendum at the annual budget election in May, is  to prepare the 9 White Plains Schools (possibly including a new Post Road School) for an expected 250 child increase in elementary enrollments by 2010 and an additional 300 students by 2015 according to sketchy city projections.

The $67 Million issue would upgrade  the infrastructures of the 10 school buildings and grounds for $15 Million, and replace Post Road School with a new school for $36 Million and add 3 stories to Mamaroneck Avenue School for $5 Million, while modernizing two athletic fields Loucks Field and Parker Stadium – where football is played,(the Mayor is an enthusiastic football supporter), with synthetic turf and new stands and lockers, at a cost of $10 Million for a  total of $66,769,926 at current construction rates.

A Good Talk

“We had a good talk with the Mayor, we shared with him what our plans are,” Connors told this reporter, “The Mayor said he would give it some thought and we will talk again, but it was a good meeting. We talked about many of the issues that were here (at the Annual Budget Committee meeting), and about our capital project. The Mayor as always is very supportive of what we’re doing in the schools and looking forward. And we’re looking forward to working with him on some of the things (capital project) we proposed.”

Asked how the city might help, Connors said, “I think the Mayor, the best thing to say is the Mayor has taken what we’ve shared with him under advisement. I know he’ll get back to us and he’ll make some determinations where we go from there.”

Asked if the Mayor had given a date when he’d get back to the School District, given that  the District is in the decision-making process, Connors reports,  “Well, you know the Mayor’s a busy person like we are. There’s no rush.”

Asked if the Mayor indicated he might give the District an answer on money help in some form before the decision to borrow had to be made by the district, Connors said, “Well, it isn’t always money, it’s about support and working together and  (as) we heard this evening there are a lot of different ways to be supportive. I think the mayor will consider that.”

WPCNR asked what different way other than money would help. Connors said, “I think we left that open for the Mayor and us to consider, so, all right, we’re optimistic that some good things will happen.”

As of yet, the Mayor's Office has not issued with a statement from Mayor Delfino as to whether he would discuss this with the Common Council.

Councilman Hockley Asks City School District to Meet Quarterly

City Councilman Glen Hockley, at the conclusion of an Annual Budget Committee steeped in gloom, concern and anxiety at the things they had heard about the budget, said he felt the city administration and the school district should meet quarterly in public around a table and discuss financial and other issues facing them,  to see how they could work together, since all the money comes out of our pocket” (the citizens’ pocket).

Peter Bassano a Board Member responded to this by saying the school district does meet with the city. Bill Pollak, Board member, responding to Hockley said that certiorari refunds were one of the biggest problems the district faces. Pollak corrected Mr. Hockley, saying the school district did not have the same sources of revenues as the city. The city has access to sales taxes, property tax, parking fees and fines, violations, construction fees, among other revenue variables, while the 81% of the present $154.7 Million budget is funded by the Property Tax, 4.68% by the Payments In Lieu of Taxes,  2.41% by the utility tax, 1.35% by New York Hospital Tuition,  Fund balance, 1.13%, Benefits Reserve 4.20% and 6.33% by state aid.

Donna McLaughlin School Board President, said the District had an excellent relationship with the city government, and, in response to the audience wanting more bang for their buck with more programs, said the district is currently pushing for close evaluation of present program results before adding more.

Certiorari time bomb

The ABC Committee was dismayed to learn from Assistant Superintendent of Business, Terrance Schruers  that the district plans authorization of another $8 Million 5 year bond that the Board of Education plans to authorize in expectation of  paying additional certioraris for the 2006-07, now being budgeted. This third certiorari bond issue if authorized and activated, would bring the amount borrowed for certiorari repayments to $24 million in two years.

Schruers said the assessment figure is not due from the city until March 1 by law and the Assessor’s office is still working on the total assessment roll, but has not given the district an estimate of the total assessment roll as it looks today. The assessment roll could be up since, the business office reports more assessments have been added to the rolls according to the city, or it could be down considering the drop in assessments due to the certiorari refunds in 2005-2006.

At this time Schruers said the tax rate the district will have to charge cannot be determined. If the assessments are down from this year’s $304 Million, a tax rate increase will be in order. WPCNR has learned some “PILOTS” have ended and gone back on the tax rolls so the district is hopeful the tax roll will hold.