Unadilla Valley's budget woes continue
NEW BERLIN – The Unadilla Valley School District announced this week that two of the three unions currently representing employees were willing to reopen their current contracts to negotiate concessions in light of this year’s budget challenges.
Superintendent Robert Mackey called on local unions to re-negotiate with the district, asking that they consider forgoing their annual raises or other benefits in a bid to reduce cutbacks.
The school started its budget process looking at the worst-case scenario, announcing the potential loss of 24 positions.
“The Administrator’s Union and the Support Staff’s Union, the CSEA, have told us they are willing to enter negotiations. The Unadilla Valley Teachers Union has told us they are not considering reopening their contract at this time,” said Mackey.
Mackey said no agreement had yet been reached between the groups, but he’s optimistic about their willingness to cooperate.
Currently the administrator’s union has six members with two positions on the chopping block; one of those will be leaving due to attrition and one will be laid-off. The support staff has 74 union members in the district and is looking at six layoffs. The 101 certified teachers and licensed teacher assistants are looking at a possible loss of 15 positions; only two of those will be through retirement or other natural attrition – the rest will be laid-off. Mackey said the current contract would provide a 4 percent raise to teachers in the coming school year.
Calls made to the offices of teacher union representatives earlier this week have not been returned for comment.
Mackey said he had already personally notified the 24 employees of the situation and said Thursday that the school was looking at eliminating all paid coaching positions and advisors.
The school would restrict itself to a minimum equipment budget for next year, paying for only upgrades in mandatory safety equipment. He said the coaching and advisors to the teams would have to volunteer. He said also that bus drivers would not be paid for their “parked time” during sporting events, only their “travel time.”
“We hope that we’ll be able to continue the programs with volunteers for at least the next year or two,” he said.
Mackey also said he was working with representatives from the New York State Department of Education in securing additional aid to continue summer school, which without funds may not be available after this summer.
Mackey unveiled a plan to save 14 of the 24 positions that was based on a “number of variables.” One of those conditions was that there be no further interruption in state aid, which was hampered when the State’s legislature failed to pass a budget this week. The lack of agreement on a final budget prompted Gov. David A. Paterson to withhold $2.1 billion dollars in school aid Tuesday so the state could continue to pay its bills.
“The only way our state can put its long-term fiscal house in order is through significant, recurring spending reductions,” said Paterson in a released statement. “In the short term, however, plummeting revenues and record deficits have once again forced me to take extraordinary cash-management actions in order to ensure the continued orderly operation of our government.”
Mackey’s plan also called for the unions of the district to make concessions in their current contracts.
“At this point I can tell you we will not be able to save 14 positions,” he said.
Mackey said decreasing enrollment and the economic storm over the state were the two main factors in the proposed cuts.
“Even in a best-case scenario we’d only have reductions in the work force due to decreasing enrollment. As enrollment continues to decline, we have to expect a reduction in the work force over time,” he said. Over the last two years, the school has eliminated 11 positions due to dropping enrollment; 10 of those were through regular attrition.
Altogether, the school is currently looking at about a $1.8 million shortfall in its 2010-2011 budget.
Mackey said he and the board would unveil the details of their current fiscal plan at their next special Board of Education meeting at 6 p.m. April 8 in the District Conference Room. Mackey said the meeting would be held mostly in executive session so the board could discuss specific personnel and legal issues before having a Budget Work Session at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.
The board has scheduled several similar meetings and workshops since February and Mackey said they must adopt a budget by April 12 if the district was to meet its voter deadline. At 6 p.m. April 12, a budget workshop will be held in the auditorium followed by a 7 p.m. regular board meeting in the library. In that meeting, Mackey said the board would most likely adopt a budget.
Superintendent Robert Mackey called on local unions to re-negotiate with the district, asking that they consider forgoing their annual raises or other benefits in a bid to reduce cutbacks.
The school started its budget process looking at the worst-case scenario, announcing the potential loss of 24 positions.
“The Administrator’s Union and the Support Staff’s Union, the CSEA, have told us they are willing to enter negotiations. The Unadilla Valley Teachers Union has told us they are not considering reopening their contract at this time,” said Mackey.
Mackey said no agreement had yet been reached between the groups, but he’s optimistic about their willingness to cooperate.
Currently the administrator’s union has six members with two positions on the chopping block; one of those will be leaving due to attrition and one will be laid-off. The support staff has 74 union members in the district and is looking at six layoffs. The 101 certified teachers and licensed teacher assistants are looking at a possible loss of 15 positions; only two of those will be through retirement or other natural attrition – the rest will be laid-off. Mackey said the current contract would provide a 4 percent raise to teachers in the coming school year.
Calls made to the offices of teacher union representatives earlier this week have not been returned for comment.
Mackey said he had already personally notified the 24 employees of the situation and said Thursday that the school was looking at eliminating all paid coaching positions and advisors.
The school would restrict itself to a minimum equipment budget for next year, paying for only upgrades in mandatory safety equipment. He said the coaching and advisors to the teams would have to volunteer. He said also that bus drivers would not be paid for their “parked time” during sporting events, only their “travel time.”
“We hope that we’ll be able to continue the programs with volunteers for at least the next year or two,” he said.
Mackey also said he was working with representatives from the New York State Department of Education in securing additional aid to continue summer school, which without funds may not be available after this summer.
Mackey unveiled a plan to save 14 of the 24 positions that was based on a “number of variables.” One of those conditions was that there be no further interruption in state aid, which was hampered when the State’s legislature failed to pass a budget this week. The lack of agreement on a final budget prompted Gov. David A. Paterson to withhold $2.1 billion dollars in school aid Tuesday so the state could continue to pay its bills.
“The only way our state can put its long-term fiscal house in order is through significant, recurring spending reductions,” said Paterson in a released statement. “In the short term, however, plummeting revenues and record deficits have once again forced me to take extraordinary cash-management actions in order to ensure the continued orderly operation of our government.”
Mackey’s plan also called for the unions of the district to make concessions in their current contracts.
“At this point I can tell you we will not be able to save 14 positions,” he said.
Mackey said decreasing enrollment and the economic storm over the state were the two main factors in the proposed cuts.
“Even in a best-case scenario we’d only have reductions in the work force due to decreasing enrollment. As enrollment continues to decline, we have to expect a reduction in the work force over time,” he said. Over the last two years, the school has eliminated 11 positions due to dropping enrollment; 10 of those were through regular attrition.
Altogether, the school is currently looking at about a $1.8 million shortfall in its 2010-2011 budget.
Mackey said he and the board would unveil the details of their current fiscal plan at their next special Board of Education meeting at 6 p.m. April 8 in the District Conference Room. Mackey said the meeting would be held mostly in executive session so the board could discuss specific personnel and legal issues before having a Budget Work Session at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.
The board has scheduled several similar meetings and workshops since February and Mackey said they must adopt a budget by April 12 if the district was to meet its voter deadline. At 6 p.m. April 12, a budget workshop will be held in the auditorium followed by a 7 p.m. regular board meeting in the library. In that meeting, Mackey said the board would most likely adopt a budget.
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