Turbulent times ahead for Oxford, all New York schools
OXFORD – Oxford, like all of New York’s public school districts, will face tough decisions when drafting its budget for the coming academic year.
“It’s going to take everybody’s input,” Superintendent Randy Squier told members of the district’s board of education on Monday.
According to Squier, anticipated reductions in state and federal aid, coupled with rising healthcare and retirement costs, will leave the district $1,169,000 short based on preliminary estimates.
“We’ve talked about the funding cliff,” he said, reminding the board that Oxford will lose the $832,000 lifeline it was given in stimulus money two years ago under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This will only be partially offset by the $243,000 the district has been allocated under the Education Jobs Bill.
As for state aid, Squier said the “best case scenario” would be for it remain flat. But he wasn’t optimistic that would occur. Minimally, he said, the district should expect a 5 percent reduction.
“The only thing that can save us is that we’re a poor, rural district,” the administrator reported, citing rumors in Albany that wealthier districts would shoulder the lion’s share of reductions.
On the expenditure side of the budget, the district is anticipating a 9 to 10 percent increase in healthcare premiums, an estimated $320,000 in additional expense. And retirement contributions will increase as well, by upwards of $260,000.
As for contractual salary and wage increases, those have yet to be factored in, according to Squier. The district is currently engaged in contract negotiations with all three of its employee unions.
“(It) does not help in planning a budget,” the superintendent said.
There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that drastic cuts and cost saving measures will be necessary to close next year’s budget gap. Particularly if a property tax cap is, indeed, passed. The wording of the current proposal dictates levy increases be limited to either 2 percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which ever is lower. According to Squier, the CPI is currently 1.2. For a wealthy district, where a 1 percent levy increase generates over $1 million, that may not create concern. But at Oxford, a 1 percent increase equates to $44,000.
“There is talk that the compromise will be 4 percent,” the superintendent said, which translates to approximately a $176,000 increase in tax revenue for the district.
And fiscal concerns aren’t the only challenge. Oxford and its counterparts across the state will also be expected to meet the increasingly rigorous standards being rolled out as part the education commissioner’s reform agenda.
“Those things are happening. They’re not going to stop,” he reported.
According to Squier, this means that Oxford will have to take a hard look at making fundamental changes of how children are educated.
“Our education ... system is changing, whether we like it or not,” he explained. “We must provide excellence and equity access for all our students.”
Squier gave the school board six resource proposals to consider, which he said had been developed with input from both faculty and administrators. They ranged from reaching out earlier to parents with a new Growing Partnerships Sooner program; extending existing after school support programs; and re-introducing a school resource/attendance officer position to providing greater opportunities for distance learning; increasing both intervention and enrichment in the areas of math, science, engineering and technology; and using instructional coaching to increase the effectiveness of classroom instruction.
The ideas, which Squier said had been developed with input from both faculty and staff, received mixed reactions from the board because of the associated costs which totaled approximately $77,000.
The board also discussed last months voter referendum, which resulted in the defeat of the district’s proposed $10.65 million Phase II building project by a narrow margin. When it was suggested that the matter be brought back to a vote, Squier commented on the uncertainty of building aid.
According to the superintendent, the state may begin exerting more pressure on districts with fewer than 1,000 students to consolidate in one form or fashion. While the state education department has long offered financial incentives for those districts who consolidate, now they may begin penalizing those who don’t by reducing building aid, etc.,, he said. As a result, district’s like Oxford could be “slowly strangled financially until we can no longer afford to exist.”
While in theory consolidation may make sense, according to Squier, it ignores the geographic of Upstate New York.
“The people making these decisions have never driven through Chenango County, or Delaware County,” he said.
“It’s going to take everybody’s input,” Superintendent Randy Squier told members of the district’s board of education on Monday.
According to Squier, anticipated reductions in state and federal aid, coupled with rising healthcare and retirement costs, will leave the district $1,169,000 short based on preliminary estimates.
“We’ve talked about the funding cliff,” he said, reminding the board that Oxford will lose the $832,000 lifeline it was given in stimulus money two years ago under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This will only be partially offset by the $243,000 the district has been allocated under the Education Jobs Bill.
As for state aid, Squier said the “best case scenario” would be for it remain flat. But he wasn’t optimistic that would occur. Minimally, he said, the district should expect a 5 percent reduction.
“The only thing that can save us is that we’re a poor, rural district,” the administrator reported, citing rumors in Albany that wealthier districts would shoulder the lion’s share of reductions.
On the expenditure side of the budget, the district is anticipating a 9 to 10 percent increase in healthcare premiums, an estimated $320,000 in additional expense. And retirement contributions will increase as well, by upwards of $260,000.
As for contractual salary and wage increases, those have yet to be factored in, according to Squier. The district is currently engaged in contract negotiations with all three of its employee unions.
“(It) does not help in planning a budget,” the superintendent said.
There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that drastic cuts and cost saving measures will be necessary to close next year’s budget gap. Particularly if a property tax cap is, indeed, passed. The wording of the current proposal dictates levy increases be limited to either 2 percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which ever is lower. According to Squier, the CPI is currently 1.2. For a wealthy district, where a 1 percent levy increase generates over $1 million, that may not create concern. But at Oxford, a 1 percent increase equates to $44,000.
“There is talk that the compromise will be 4 percent,” the superintendent said, which translates to approximately a $176,000 increase in tax revenue for the district.
And fiscal concerns aren’t the only challenge. Oxford and its counterparts across the state will also be expected to meet the increasingly rigorous standards being rolled out as part the education commissioner’s reform agenda.
“Those things are happening. They’re not going to stop,” he reported.
According to Squier, this means that Oxford will have to take a hard look at making fundamental changes of how children are educated.
“Our education ... system is changing, whether we like it or not,” he explained. “We must provide excellence and equity access for all our students.”
Squier gave the school board six resource proposals to consider, which he said had been developed with input from both faculty and administrators. They ranged from reaching out earlier to parents with a new Growing Partnerships Sooner program; extending existing after school support programs; and re-introducing a school resource/attendance officer position to providing greater opportunities for distance learning; increasing both intervention and enrichment in the areas of math, science, engineering and technology; and using instructional coaching to increase the effectiveness of classroom instruction.
The ideas, which Squier said had been developed with input from both faculty and staff, received mixed reactions from the board because of the associated costs which totaled approximately $77,000.
The board also discussed last months voter referendum, which resulted in the defeat of the district’s proposed $10.65 million Phase II building project by a narrow margin. When it was suggested that the matter be brought back to a vote, Squier commented on the uncertainty of building aid.
According to the superintendent, the state may begin exerting more pressure on districts with fewer than 1,000 students to consolidate in one form or fashion. While the state education department has long offered financial incentives for those districts who consolidate, now they may begin penalizing those who don’t by reducing building aid, etc.,, he said. As a result, district’s like Oxford could be “slowly strangled financially until we can no longer afford to exist.”
While in theory consolidation may make sense, according to Squier, it ignores the geographic of Upstate New York.
“The people making these decisions have never driven through Chenango County, or Delaware County,” he said.
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