The Clarkstown  school board agreed Tuesday night to ask Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan to restore $125,000 for freshman sports at Clarkstown North and South high schools in the proposed 2011-2012 budget.

It includes five sports at each high school.

The board’s decision followed passionate pleas from a number of speakers.

“We have a very large school district and these opportunities need to be provided for our students,” one parent said. Another said, “Playing for your school is something we need to take seriously. You’re cutting the morale of your school.” Speakers said safety was not being considered if the freshman teams were eliminated because 14 year olds could wind up playing against 17 year olds on junior varsity teams.

After a brief board discussion, Board President Philip DeGaetano announced, “Freshman sports is back.”

About 100 people were in the audience when Keller-Cogan presented a rollover budget for 2011-2012 that included all items in this year’s budget. The basic rollover budget was just under $171 million with a tax levy increase of 2.3 percent.

She also provided a proposed budget of approximately $174 million that included funds for the installation of additional bleachers and a press box at Clarkstown North and the purchases of buses and vans to replace aging ones. “We want to create a budget that supports all the good things Clarkstown is known for,” said Keller-Cogan.

Even though the district anticipates enrolling 341 fewer students in September, there is no decrease in staff. “We have not staffed on these reductions. We have staffed on this year’s enrollment,” said Keller Cogan. This allows flexibility if course enrollments change. Clarkstown expects to have 216 fewer elementary school students, 117 fewer middle school students and eight less students in the high schools.   

District Director of Business Services Alita McCoy Zuber explained the five-year bus plan is to replace 71 buses. In the first year, 16 vehicles would be purchased followed by 22 and 12 in the next two years. In the fourth and fifth years, 10 and 11 buses would be bought. The district has not purchased any buses for the past two years.

District Director of Fiscal Management John LaNave introduced a roof replacement proposal for 12 of the schools and the bus garage. Under the proposal, work would begin on Clarkstown North and South high schools and Felix Festa Middle School for the first two years at a cost of more than $8 million. Over the following two years roofs would be replaced on nine elementary schools and the bus garage. The total projected cost amounted to $17,885,950.

LaNave said, “In 2006 these roofs passed their useful life then. We’re on borrowed time.”

If it moves quickly, the district can take advantage of 55 percent state aid which would help offset the roof replacement cost. LaNave recommended an 18-year bond that would be paid for by a one quarter of one percent tax levy the first year and a one quarter of one percent tax levy the second year. “Then we would have enough funding in the tax levy to pay for the bond over 18 years,” he explained.

A letter sent to the community on April 1 advised residents that state aid for the district was not cut as much as had been anticipated. The district’s rollover spending plan budgeted for $24.5 million of state aid.

“We want to put a supportable budget before the voters. We are not only reinstating things we are addressing hopefully the roofing needs in a way that is fiscally responsible,” said Keller-Cogan. “I think it is a very wise plan financially.”

The board votes on the revised proposed spending plan next Thursday, April 14 at 8 p.m.

The public will vote on the budget on Tuesday, May 17.