WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 22, 2006: The Board of Education held a public hearing on the 2006-2007 Preliminary School Budget Monday evening that was sparsely attended. No new cuts in the $165.8 Million budget announced last week were made.
Timothy Connors, Superintendent of Schools, presenting the Budget in Monday evening's Public Hearing at Education House. Photo, WPCNR News.
Terrance Schreurs, Assistant Superintendent for Business, held out the possibility of more state aid from Albany to lower the 9.31% tax rate increase because both houses of the state legislature have budgeted more in state aid than Governor George Pataki has called for. The Assembly has ticketed $690,000 for White Plains, the Senate a lesser amount. Schreurs attributed the year-to-year 7.16% increase in budget spending to salaries (up 4.2%) and health benefits (up 12%), debt servce, utilities and Transportation costs.
Schreurs said the annual tax rate would be $448.67/$1,000 of assessed valuation up from $410.45/$1,000 for 2005-2006.. This means, Schreurs said, the owner of a property assessed at $15,000 (the median) would pay an additional $573 in school taxes in 2006-2007, and a total of $6,730.05 in school taxes.
Mr. Schreurs reported 17% ($6.50) of the tax rate increase of $38.22 is due to the loss of $6,354,257 in assessments in 2005-2006. Referencing the city's recent development boom impact, Schreurs said that income from Payments in Lieu of Taxes in the city rose $1,581,601, to $89,830,006 up from $7,248,405 last year. However, Schreurs observed the school district lost $2,000,000 cash in loss assessment values, necessitating the increase in the tax rate to cover that loss as well as the increased expenses in the budget.
The League of Women Voters made a statement sharply critical of the Board of Education for failing to ride heard on the budget. Marjorie Davies, Co-President of the LWV, speaking for the League of Women Voters, while complimenting the District efforts to hold the line on small class size, said "we urge the Board of Education to take a hard look at future contract negotiations. The overall salary increase of 4.2% exceeds increases received by most of us." Photo, WPCNR News
Ms. Davies urged employees be made to make larger contributions to insurance premiums or co-pays on insurance coverage. She also on behalf of the League, called for evaluation of the district's many programs and to look for overlapping layers of teachers and programs. "We do not see how the state priorities of the Board in utilizing data in the decision-making process or to undertake program evaluation for cost effectiveness and efficiency are reflected in this budget."
In a corrollary matter, Ms. Davies said the League did not have enough information to support or advise against the proposed financing of $25 Million to $66 Million in infrastructure, stadium and new school construction next fall.
The CitizeNetReporter asked the Board if it felt the City of White Plains was increasing assessments of new construction projects in a timely matter. The Superintendent of Schools said this was not a relevant question.
