WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. February 6, 2007: On the eve before the City School District Core Planning Committee meets for  three-days in its Strategic Planning Retreat at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, a group of distinguished citizens have challenged the way the planning is being approached.

 In a letter signed by former Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio, former Planning Commissioner Michael Graessle,  historian Jack Harrington, professional planner and architect Robert Levine, activist  Marc Pollitzer, bond expert, Robert Stackpole and former Superintendent of Schools Saul Yanofsky,  the letter calls on the district to include significant data analysis of long term trends, racial balance issues, building deterioration, adult education  and cost savings as key areas calling for intense analysis and thought.

Here is the text of that letter delivered to the Board of Education Tuesday morning:  

February 5, 2007                                                                                                         1 of 2

To: Board of Education    White Plains Public Schools

From: Citizens’ Plan Committee

As the School District moves ahead in its Strategic Planning effort, The Citizens’ Plan Committee is writing to once again emphasize the importance of basing this effort on  clear, objective collection and analyses of data regarding long-term trends in the School District and in the City as a whole. We write out of particular concern that, among the individuals selected for the “Goals Committee,” there appears to be no one from the City administration, County government, or a college/university base who can provide an informed planning perspective on demographic, financial and other trends that extend beyond the data normally collected by school district personnel.

We are disappointed that the Board and the administration decided not to go very far beyond the School District “family” when selecting participants for this important committee.

We believe that the planning consultants, if so instructed by the Board and District administration, have an obligation to establish the overall study context and to bring to this committee data and analyses that could serve as the starting points for the committee’s discussion.  In the absence of such information, we fear that the committee’s discussions could simply turn out to be groundless and uninformed – with conclusions based primarily on individuals’ experiences, observations and personal preferences.  Such an outcome, in our opinion, would be a waste of both the participants’ time and the taxpayers’ money.

We encourage you, the leaders of our School District, to direct the consultants to make sure that appropriate data are collected and distributed in a timely manner in order that rigorous analyses can be undertaken in response to questions of major concern including, but not limited to, the following:

1.            Long-range demographics concerning student enrollment:  careful analyses of immigration patterns and future housing possibilities in White Plains as major predictors of enrollments, not just projecting from existing grade-level cohorts.  What will be the likely make-up of the student population in the years (decades?) to come and what will their instructional needs be?

2.            Long-term expenditure projections:  what are the budget projections over time, and what are the assumptions behind them?  In particular, what assumptions should be made about increases in staff salaries, class sizes, supplementary and enrichment programs, facility improvements and/or replacement, tax certioraris, etc?  What are some possible ways to reduce costs in each of these areas?

3.         Long-term revenue projections:  what is the basis for your revenue projections? Are there any viable alternatives to the current reliance on the property tax?  To what extent will the City government consider the sharing of revenues or other resources with the School District?  Is it possible for the School District to share in proceeds from the County sales tax, as non-city districts in the County do? What about prospects for State aid? To the extent that money from property taxes will continue to constitute the bulk of the District’s revenues, what are the trend lines for the City’s tax base over the next decade or two?

4.         Organization and grade configuration: is the existing utilization of District facilities and the current organization of grade levels the best way of providing efficient and effective education in the future? Does existing research clearly indicate that K-5, 6-8, 9-12 is the most beneficial and optimum grade configuration to provide quality instruction? Is the current Parent Choice program the best way to assign students to elementary schools, given the changes in demographics (assuming that a change in this method isn’t forced by subsequent court decisions)?

Beyond the decision to replace the Post Road School, will other buildings need replacement over the next few decades?  What parcels of land in White Plains are available (or might become available over the next decade or two) for the construction of new, possibly consolidated, school buildings? Given the enrollment trends, will all the current facilities be necessary?  If  Pre-K -12 enrollment continues to increase, should the district continue to allocate space for non-required Adult Education programs? Will increased use of technology, the growth of on-line and distance learning programs, trends in home schooling, and other factors reduce the need for classrooms over time?

5.         Cost-saving possibilities:  What are some possible areas for collaboration (and consequent cost savings) with other branches of government, or with private sector and non-governmental organizations? For example, does the City of White Plains compensate the School District adequately for their extensive use of school facilities?  Could increased collaborations with other governmental and non-profit institutions yield grant funds that could support existing or additional district activities? With more aggressive marketing, could the variety of attractive and functional school facilities (auditoriums, theaters, cafeterias, gymnasiums, outdoor tennis courts and playing fields, etc.) be rented more frequently to other organizations for higher rental rates?

We urge the Board and District administration to make every effort to insure that the considerable investment of time and resources devoted to this planning process will be worthwhile, both to the school district and, more generally, to all the residents of White Plains.

     (for the) CITIZENS’ PLAN COMMITTEE

     A. DelVecchio, M. Graessle,  J. Harrington,  R. Levine, M. Pollitzer,  R.Stackpole. S. Yanofsky