May 19th School Budget Vote and Trustee Election

On Tuesday, May 19th, you have an opportunity to vote on the Proposed 2009/10 School Budget, as well as to vote for two Trustee positions on the Board of Education.

Budget:

At this point, everyone should have received the May edition of Elwood Highlights, which has a great deal of information on the proposed budget, as well as comparative data for your consideration.

Normally a great deal more time is spent in preparing each May's edition of Elwood Highlights, which is always the "Special Budget Edition," but this year we had some beyond-last-minute negotiations between the teachers union and the Board of Education (BOE). The good news, indeed the very good news, is that the teachers have agreed to eliminate the 3% increase which was scheduled in their contract for the 2009/10 school year, and this has resulted in $500,000 savings for the district and district taxpayers. If it were not for that delay, with its wonderful results, a bit more care could have gone into preparing the body of the Special Budget Edition, but the essential information is there for you to consider.

For those on the two distribution lists for Elwood community commentaries, and who save some of these, there are three pertinent commentaries which you might want to reread: (1) on 4/29, "Proposed Budget Approved - Synopsis"; (2) on 5/3, "Proposed Budget and the FDK Mystery"; and, (3) on 5/8, "How Do You Spell Myopia?"

For the convenience of readers of this blog who might not be on the two distribution lists for those community commentaries, they are reprinted here in original date order.

In the most recent cited commentary, "How Do You Spell Myopia?", I indicate why I am supporting this proposed budget, and why I will vote for it, despite the actions of some people who actually were urging Elwood residents to vote "no" last year, simply because they were not satisfied that the 2008/09 budget did not provide for Full Day Kindergarten for Elwood.

Unlike them, I am not willing to punish Grades 1 through 12 because of the deplorable tactics which they employed. This is a K through 12 district, and this budget, despite what I perceive as the failures thus far of the District Administration to give sufficient attention to the needs of the later grades, is good for the district overall.

Let's get this done, and pass this budget, and then focus upon any possible weaknesses yet to be remedied.

The fact remains that our BOE, and our District Administration, were very conscious about the current economic and fiscal crisis, and were diligent in holding down expenses. The 2.33% increase in budget, at a time of escalating energy costs, and escalating health care costs, and escalating transportation costs, is as low as I have ever seen it.

Unfortunately, even though the State restored the cuts that they had originally scheduled, they have not kept up with the increases which had been promised about two years ago, and that means property taxpayers will need to pick up a larger share of the budget increase. But, with a projected tax levy increase of 3.66%, partially enabled by the teachers gracious concession, it is at least a somewhat manageable tax increase.

Trustees:

Now, on to the two Trustees who are running for reelection, Dan Ciccone and Joe Fusaro; the fact that nobody filed petitions to oppose Dan and Joe, is understandable. Aside from the fact that both Dan and Joe significantly increased their victory margin in 2006 from 2003, when they were first elected, we must also keep in mind that the Board and District reforms which have blessed this community over the past six years were enabled when Dan and Joe combined with Mike Kaszubski in 2003 to form a reform-minded majority. Subsequently other Trustees joined the Board to strengthen this democratizing coalition.

Just think of this; since 2003 we have witnessed the following improvements:

(1) Creation of a Citizens Finance/Budget Advisory Committee (actually one of Dan's 2003 campaign platform proposals) to provide the BOE with the benefit of advice from finance and accounting professionals, as they examine various financial aspects, including the formative proposed budget and, expected in 2009/10, a strategic financial plan for the district;

(2) Creation of a Financial Oversight Advisory Committee (FOAC), before the State ever required school districts to have Audit Committees, to provide better protection for the taxpayers of this district, in light of problems that became known in such school districts as Roslyn, William Floyd, and Three Village; the FOAC was subsequently converted to become the district's Audit Committee, after the state finally caught up and effectively agreed with Elwood's BOE.

(3) Creation of five Subcommittees of the BOE, to take advantage of the professional talents and the personal interests of residents, covering the following areas: Curriculum and Technology; Facilities; Personnel; Policy; and Public Relations.

(4) Creation of three Roundtable forums, one with Staff, one with Parents, and one with Other Residents and community organizations, to engage in dialogue on what had been taking place, and what might be considered, in the Elwood School District.

(5) Creation of a second Residents Remarks period at BOE Regular Meetings, thereby increasing the dialogue between Board and residents, and allowing residents to speak with more immediate impact than the previous structure by which comments on the meeting would have to wait until the next BOE meeting.

(6) Creation, for the first time, of a monthly BOE Work Session where residents could listen to detailed discussions by BOE members about various subjects to be covered at future Regular Meetings.

(7) Creation, subsequently, and also for the first time, of a Residents Remarks period at the new BOE Work Sessions, so residents could present questions or comments pertaining to discussion items.

(8) Creation, for the first time, of a BOE collective E-mail address; until then, residents could only send E-mails to Board Trustees if they happened to know a Trustee's personal E-mail address.

(9) Creation, for the first time, of three “Board Books,” containing the detailed action items which the BOE sees, but which were previously unknown to Residents, and those Books are placed at the back of the auditorium before every BOE Regular Meeting for review by any resident.

Three words come to mind: (1) openness; (2) candor; and (3) accountability.

And, as if that were not enough, Dan and Joe have helped this Board push for numerous educational initiatives including the innovative virtual high school (shorthand VHS), which is so useful in a small school district like ours (as we can link with other small districts to provide a greater variety of course offerings for high school students), health and nutrition improvements, and a personal finance elective.

Also, the BOE and former Superintendent Bill Swart joined to create the District Strategic Planning Council, to create the first concrete strategic plan for this district as well as a process for periodically updating the plan, so that Elwood would operate more on the basis of well-conceived and long range plans for our students and staff.

So, don't just take it for granted that Dan Ciccone and Joe Fusaro will win reelection; come to the Middle School next Tuesday, and vote for both of them to thank them for their great contributions towards promoting democracy and accountability and creativity in Elwood. It is a grueling job, with no compensation other than knowing they are appreciated, by you, for trying to make things better for Elwood's students and its taxpayers.