NEW BERLIN – The Unadilla Valley School Board unanimously adopted the 2010-2011 budget at a meeting Thursday, in which a number of students and parents raised concern over cuts to sports programs.
The board’s proposed $19,614,309 budget represents a 3.25 percent reduction in spending from last year and will call for no raise in the local tax levy.
The budget may also include the elimination of 23.5 positions and provides no funding to several sports and programs. The board postponed adopting a budget Monday so the district’s staff could make voluntary contributions of paid days-off to help offset the reductions.
Superintendent Robert Mackey said the amount of the contributions has not yet been tallied, but would impact some of the educational programs and possibly restore some positions currently on the chopping block.
Many attending last night’s meeting were eager to hear of the specific cuts to programs, but board members and administrators said they had few details to offer.
“Our current budget just reflects the total amount of money the community is going to vote on and what we are going to spend as a school district,” said Board President William J. Lyons. “There are still many moving parts in that total number that need to be put into place.”
“Today’s target was a total budget figure. We have to create a target without knowing a revenue stream,” said Mackey.
“That’s the concern – what happens next year when we lose the federal stimulus, have another million dollar-plus shortfall between rising costs and lost aid. We don’t have as many options next year to regain funds as this year,” Mackey said, stressing the importance of having a sound financial plan in the years to come.
Mackey explained that a number of variables still exist that could positively or negatively impact the budget. He said on May 10, the school would have a budget hearing on the specifics and a newsletter would be sent out May 11 detailing the budget.
Over a dozen students and an even higher number of adults attended the meeting, with many asking about cuts to UV sports.
One concerned parent, Wendy Rifanburg, expressed frustration at the lack of specific information. “So can you tell me with certainty that by the vote in May, I as a taxpayer will know if football is going to be in or out of the budget?”
Mackey responded by saying, “By then we will have a much clearer picture on fall sports,” but he wouldn’t guarantee that the school would know for sure by then.
The school reduced sports salary spending by $74,790 in the proposed budget, from $155,402 last year to $80,612.
Mackey pointed out that with every reduction in salary and sports programs came the savings accumulated by all the indirect costs associated with the cuts, including transportation, equipment and referees. Altogether, the school is looking to save $105,123 from the reductions to the sports program.
Many in attendance expressed an interest in starting a sports booster club to help offset the costs.
“According to the law, school boards can not accept donations with strings attached to how they spend it,” Lyons said, warning that money donated to the school could not be guaranteed to be spent solely on sports.
Mackey encouraged parents to meet with him and other community members to create a non-profit “educational foundation” that could raise money for school programs, including sports. He asked for trust from the public in how the board would spend the money.
The proposed budget may reduce funding for several sports, including football, tennis, volleyball, golf, JV soccer, JV baseball, JV softball, girls modified soccer and the late buses.
Also, the school would restrict itself to a minimum equipment budget for next year, paying for only upgrades in mandatory safety equipment. Mackey said the coaches and advisors to the teams would have to volunteer.
That idea drew fire from UV Wrestling Coach Jim DuVall.
“God bless volunteers, they are certainly an asset to us here at the school, but I’m not sure I’d assume we can rely on them for so much. People have lives and their livelihoods will take priority over being at a high school game, that’s just how it is. Where would that leave these kids then? I think that by relying on only volunteers, you may be setting theses programs up for failure,” he said.
Mackey agreed volunteers were not a good long-term solution and said that it may be possible to offer volunteer coaches some compensation in next years budget, but he had no guarantee.
The instructional positions being lost include 11 teachers and licensed teaching assistants, two administrators, one dean of students, half a librarian’s position, eight teacher aides and one student advocate.
Mackey also said he will be waiving his salary increase for the coming school year, and noted he had only received a single raise since joining the district in 2007. He currently makes $134,100.
“We’re trying to find ways to squeeze pennies out of places we’re not used to and that can be scary,” Mackey told the crowd, asking for a degree of understanding. “We may not be able to fund all the programs at this time, but we haven’t cut them. We’re hoping we can find alternative ways to fund these programs; that’s all we can really say at this time. We haven’t given up.”
Mackey noted that one unexpected development that would affect the budget is a higher number of new enrollments. The school projected an enrollment of 42 new students but found out last week it had 64 students coming in for next year.
“Thing such as that have the potential to change the specific position of what programs may be impacted by funding,” he said.