Guest Column: Building a budget in tough times

Written by Michael Gordon
Thursday, 25 February 2010 01:00

On Tuesday, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Roelle released his proposed budget for the 2010-11 school year. Tonight, the board of education will begin discussing that proposal. So it might appear that we are beginning our budget season now. Not so. Our budget season began in August 2009, well before the doors opened for the first day of school. The board said then that, in view of the fiscal crisis, the 2010-11 budget would be difficult and painful. We anticipated that the poor state of the economy, the likely reduction in state aid, and the dramatic increase in benefit spending would make it nearly impossible to avoid negatively impacting district programming. The board saw its primary mission as developing a budget that would minimize that impact and yet protect our taxpayers from an unreasonable burden.

To achieve its mission, the board set out a three-part plan. First, the board directed Dr. Roelle to review at least one major component of the budget at every regular board meeting. Second, the board directed Dr. Roelle to examine every aspect of our operation with an eye towards economizing and finding creative ways to deliver educational services. Third, the board engaged the community about the budget through public forums, town hall meetings, and e-mail, telephone, and personal exchanges.

The result of that plan is a proposed budget that contemplates no significant spending increase in any areas other than contractually required healthcare costs and legally mandated retirement contributions. Nearly every other area of the budget would experience an overall reduction in spending. The budget proposes strong measures that likely will cause strong reactions. But however one views the proposed budget, one must recognize that it is the result of a considered analysis and a desire to balance programming excellence with affordability.

I firmly believe that starting the budget review process last summer gave Dr. Roelle the opportunity to develop a comprehensive, thoughtful proposal. Consider the more notable aspects of Dr. Roelle’s proposal: a spending reduction in every major area except employee benefits, where the district will be legally and contractually required to increase its contributions and spending; a significant reduction in staff; the elimination and consolidation of elective classes at the middle and high schools; further administrative reorganization; the return to triple-tripping; and the deferral of a bus fleet upgrade. At the same time, Dr. Roelle has proposed districtwide class sizes that are close to last year’s levels, the maintenance of our middle school teaming model, and the replacement of certain high school electives with new options. This budget reflects a serious effort by Dr. Roelle and his team to achieve the mission set by the board last summer. It also reflects months of study, discussion, and consideration.

But Dr. Roelle’s proposed budget is only that, a proposal. Over the next several weeks, the board will analyze the proposed budget in detail. The board will also solicit community input. The board cannot go it alone. It was important for the board to begin the budget process early. And it is important for the board to hear from the community early. To that end, starting this Saturday and continuing on every Thursday evening in March, the community will have an opportunity to give budget comments and ask budget questions. A schedule of those meetings is posted on the district Web site. Please attend those meetings. If you can’t, e-mail your comments and questions to the board or just call a board member. As a good friend often reminds me, citizenship in a democracy is not a spectator sport.

—Mr. Gordon is president of the Katonah-Lewisboro school board.