BC News

Community budget forums are under way
Release Date: Jan. 13, 2009

Nearly 75 community members gathered on Monday, Jan. 12 for the first of four community budget forums as the district heads into what is expected to be the most difficult budget season in recent memory.

The community forums grew out of district officials’ interest in building upon the work of the Citizens Budget Group of the last few years by opening the budget process to a broader community dialogue. This is expected to help frame the Board of Education’s budget development work in February and March.

In his welcoming remarks, Board President James Lytle noted that community participation was essential last year to the district successfully navigating the redistricting process, a superintendent search, the annual school budget, and the decision to add elementary classrooms to allow the full-day kindergarten program to go forward next fall.

“We are now facing now probably the most challenging budget process that this district has encountered in a long time,” he said. “What we learned from our experiences last year though was to engage the community at the earliest possible time and engage them as directly and as transparently as we can through the process… So, thank you for your help (with this budget process).”

While the district first announced the forums in late summer, the backdrop is now the continued economic turmoil and New York’s fiscal woes, which has districts across the state bracing for a potential cut in state aid.

Under Gov. David Paterson’s proposed budget, the district would lose more than $2.2 million in anticipated aid next year. Prior to community input and questions, Superintendent Michael Tebbano explained how this possibility could lead to some tough choices as the district and community shape the 2009-10 budget.

State aid is one of the district’s three main revenue sources along with property taxes and federal funding. According to Dr. Tebbano, every dollar not derived in state aid can essentially be made up for through cutting or reducing programs or property taxes, Dr. Tebbano said.

When state aid goes down dramatically, “we lose ground but cost of running a school district continues to escalate,” he said. “In order to control costs, we have to figure out how to make up the ground we’re losing. Do we cut programs? Do we cut faculty? Do we raise taxes?

That’s the conundrum we’re in right now,” the superintendent continued. “I know very well what the community will not support as far as a potential tax rate. But I also know that the community wants a quality education for kids. So, how do we make both those things meld together? That’s the purpose of these forums. It’s a big job, but we’re going to do it together.”

The bulk of this first budget forum was devoted to an opportunity for community members to ask questions and provide suggestions. These questions and feedback are summarized below.

Dr. Tebbano answered many of the questions at the forum, and pledged to follow up on many others. The district is currently working to compile relevant information with respect to the bullets below, and expects to post it on this site in the coming days.

All community members are encouraged to come to the Jan. 26 forum to participate in roundtable conversations surrounding budget issues and community priorities. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Bethlehem Central Middle School Library.

 

 

 

 

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