Clarkstown School Superintendent Dr. J. Thomas Morton will present the proposed 2013-2014 school year budget to the Board of Education at Thursday’s meeting. An overview of the draft budget was shared in February. At that time, Assistant Superintendent John LaNave explained the draft budget of $192,882,638 would increase the property tax levy by 4.3 percent.
The draft budget, which was 6.62 percent higher than the current plan, also had a $9 million gap between revenues and expenses that would have to be closed with money from the unrestricted reserve fund.
The board will vote on Dr. Morton’s recommendation to award the contact for the Clarkstown North High School bleacher/press box project for $330,000 to Fourmen Construction. Five contractors bid on the project.
Additionally, board members will discuss who will serve as the district representative on the BOCES School Board. They will vote on accepting several donations to schools:
- $250 from the Rockland County Chapter of the NYS Professional Engineers toward the MATHCOUNTS Competition at Felix Festa Middle School
- 55 flats of pachysandra valued at $800 for the Clarkstown North High School Music Room Landscaping Project from the Clarkstown North PTSA
- Fence privacy slats valued at $200 to surround the Clarkstown North generator from the Clarkstown North PTSA
- Six bowling kits valued at $1,374 for elementary schools from New City Bowl and Batting Cages
The board will vote on approving Hansoo Lee’s Eagle Scout Project for the Birchwood School. Lee, a member of New City Boy Scout Troop 97, wants to build three new benches, paint existing benches and add topsoil and grass seed to the playground. His project is valued at $2,400.
The school board meeting begins at 8 p.m. A community and school board budget review is scheduled for Monday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Chestnut Grove district office.
https://stateaid.nysed.gov/attendance/attendance_memo.htm I do not think we can afford any more unexpected expenses
I typically agree with most of your posts, but if state aid (or some part of it) is in jeopardy because 6/24 will not qualify (as per the link above), one would assume our budget will need to cover whatever, if anything, the state will cut. The link I provided in the earlier post shows the attached guideline was updated "October 2012". I believe this was done as a response to the Hurricane. It seems pretty straight forward as far as adding days to the school year in this fashion. Although I admit the "guideline" is just a guideline and not policy. I do not see how gambling with state aid can be seen as a "good job". Hopefully Mr. M will shed some light on this Monday evening.
I would however like your thoughts once you read the link and hope you will prior to Mondays budget meeting. I reiterate, it is labeled a "guideline". Trust of the School Board is hard to come by for me after the last few years.
"If scheduled vacation days and days waived by the Commissioner are insufficient and the school district still remains one or more days short of the 180 days, the district may schedule additional session days after Regents examinations, through June 30, to satisfy the length of session requirement." I still think they are gambling as I am sure reasonable effort was needed to show use of vacation days was insufficient.