Interim Schools Superintendent gives the community of Berne-Knox-Westerlo choices for how to spend saving he's created to improve the academic program for K-12 and improve student achievement using Common Core Standards.

1. BKW Superintendent’s Proposed
School Budget for 2014-15
“Options and Choices for Our
Community”
Interim Superintendent
Lonnie Palmer

2. BKW Budget for 2013-14
25
20
15
10
5
0
2013-14
$21.53 Million

3. Budget Reductions implemented since
July 2013
•
•
•
•
Eliminated 3 bus runs (2 retirees)
Eliminated secretarial position (1 retiree)
Eliminated 4 teacher aide positions
5 teacher retirements replaced with less
expensive new teachers
• Share food service director with Greenville
• Left vacant maintenance position unfilled
Total savings thus far = $604,000

4. BKW 2013-14 Adopted Budget
Compared with Implemented Budget
$$ in Millions
22
21
20
2013-14
adopted
2013-14
implemented

5. Create a Rollover budget by keeping
everything in the lower implemented
budget
EXCEPT:
• Adjust for contractual increases in salaries and
other known increases/decreases
• Ex. Teachers Retirement contributions up
$70,000
• Fuel oil, propane changes projected
• Total adjustments = $224,000

6. 2014-15 Rollover Budget
in $$ Millions
22
21
20
2013-14
2013-14
2014-15
adopted budget implemented Rollover budget
budget

7. 2014-15 Rollover Budget
in $$ Millions, Lt. Gray = Possibilities
22
21
20
2013-14
2013-14
2014-15
adopted budget implemented Rollover budget
budget

8. State Aid Assumptions
• Governor’s Budget proposes $204,000 in
additional state aid for BKW
• Budget adopted by Legislature (April 1?) will
include at least this much new state aid for
BKW
• Be conservative and assume $204,000
additional aid for planning now and adjust
later if we get more aid

9. Implemented cuts plus Governor’s
additional State Aid = More
Possibilities
• Amount available for tax cuts or program
improvements without raising taxes after
rollover and additional cuts = $380,000
• Add in Governor’s proposed additional state
aid ($204,000).
• Amount available for tax cuts or program
improvements without raising taxes =
$584,000

10. 22
2014-15 Rollover Budget
in $$ Millions With new state aid =
More Possibilities
21
20
2013-14
2013-14
adopted budget implemented
budget
2014-15
Rollover plus
state aid

11. More possible reductions
• Combine 2 food service kitchens move to part time
staffing or BOCES. Savings = $120,000
• Share Operations and Maintenance Leadership with
Greenville. Savings = $30,000
• Eliminate 1, 2, or 3 more bus routes. Savings =
$100,000-$225,000
• Convert Business Office to BOCES Central Business
Office Savings = $100,000
• Use local special education collaboration instead of
BOCES. Savings = $100,000- $200,000
• Total potential savings = $450,000-$675,000

12. School Property Tax Cap
• The school property tax cap limits how much
school taxes can go up in the school district
• The tax cap for the 2014-15 budget is 3.1%
which if fully enacted would raise about
$310,000 in additional revenue for the district.

13. What are our choices?
• Implement all potential savings, rollover the
budget and reduce taxes 10.3% - 12.6%
• Raise school taxes the maximum 3.1%,
implement all the potential cuts and have
available $1.34 -$1.57 million for settling the
contracts and educational program
improvements in our schools.
• Take a balanced approach somewhere in the
middle between these 2 extremes.

14. How much will it cost to settle the
contracts?
• Teacher and CSEA contract settlements will
include a multi year pay raise for employees
partially offset by health insurance savings.
There will also be a one-time lump sum
payment to employees this year from the
district’s very healthy savings (fund balance)
that will not affect future years’ budgets.
• Estimated NET cost per year to the budget to
settle both contracts is $55,000.

15. Why do we need program
improvements?
• BKW’s test scores are comparatively low.
• Enrichment programs for high performing
students and academic intervention supports
for struggling students were cut in previous
years.
• New higher standards, harder tests, new
teaching materials, new texts and more
teacher training

16. What are possible improvements?
• BOCES training and coaching for Secondary School
teachers = $170,000
• BOCES training and coaching for ES teachers = $56,000
• Summer curriculum work for 15 Secondary School
teachers for 15 days = $54,000
• Summer curriculum work for 12 Elementary School
teachers for 15 days = $44,000
• Secondary School Curriculum materials and texts for
new curriculum = $50,000
• 7 Elementary certified teaching assistants, one for each
grade level in the ES = $312,000

17. More possible improvements
• 10 Secondary school teachers take one additional class
each to increase academic support, enrichment and
electives at the secondary school. Cost = $62,000
• 1 Job coach/special education transition coordinator Cost =
$30,000.
• Elementary School curriculum materials and texts for new
NYS curriculum = $103,000
• 2 AIS teachers ELA/Math for the Secondary School =
$142,000
• 6 part time teacher aides to cover recess for common
planning time for elementary teachers Cost = $40,000.
• 1 certified teacher as teaching assistant in SS for
Science/Social Studies = $46,000

18. More Possible Improvements
• Increase ES librarian to full time = $50,000
• 1 Full time Instrumental Music teacher at Secondary
School = $71,000
• 2 days per week science teacher to co-teach with
regular elementary teachers. Cost = $22,000
• 1 Full time Computer Science/Business teacher for SS =
$71,000
• AIS substitute teachers ES (2 teachers, 4 days per week)
= $30,000
• Part time art teacher in the secondary school Cost =
$22,000

19. Additional Possibilities
• ES Science and Engineering Curriculum = $70,000
• Increase Secondary School part time 0.4 FL teacher
to full time = $49,000
• Secondary School Equipment repair
(Tech./Music/Art) = $25,000
• 1 certified teacher as teaching assistant Secondary
School Library Lab (Keyboarding/Business) = $46,000
• Athletics/PE Equipment Repair = $10,000
• Total for All Possible Improvements = $1,575,000

20. What is the superintendent’s
recommendation?
• Implement additional cuts (downsize kitchen, cut bus runs,
shared services O+M and Special Ed. and BOCES for
business office) by April 1.
• Settle both contracts or firm up $$ amounts by April 1.
• Get community input from the Budget Advisory
Committee and community forum.
• Create prioritized list of improvements and contract
settlement costs to fit into a $21.77 million 2014-15 school
budget. This equals contingency budget/0% tax increase.
• Provide the school board with prioritized
contracts/improvements/savings $$ by April 1.

21. The School Board
• Makes necessary adjustments to the
superintendent’s recommendations and adopt
a budget for voters by
April 21.

22. The Public
• Approves the budget on May 20.

23. What if the budget vote fails?
• Second vote by the public by June 26.
OR
• Contingency budget of $21.77 million is
adopted by the school board.