Schools

Budget Cuts Spark Heated Debates

Residents oppose staff reductions in Glen Cove School District's preliminary $71.3 million spending plan.

Although the Glen Cove School District's 2010-11 budget is still in the preliminary stage, nearly 100 residents attended Monday night's school board meeting to express opposition to the budget's proposed staffing cuts.

The budget, which is scheduled for a public vote on May 18, is the district's annual spending plan. 

The latest draft, a $71.3 million expenditure plan, calls for the elimination of 11 teaching positions, one teaching assistant and three administrators/supervisors as part of a way to save $1.85 million next year.

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The proposal, however, has sparked much criticism from the public because Monday night marked the first time that Superintendent Dr. Laurence Aronstein announced the specific staffing positions that could be eliminated next year. By state law, Aronstein explained, the district has to let go of staff based on seniority. Some of the proposed staffing cuts are:

- English chairman

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- Fine arts coordinator 

- Secondary principal

- Two guidance counselors

- ESL teacher

- Speech teacher

- A teaching assistant

- A technician 

Debates

Many parents and students urged administrators to reconsider their decision, because they contended, the cuts would work against progress in the district. For many, laying off guidance counselors would cause a loss of leadership at Glen Cove High School, especially for juniors and seniors during their college search process. 

Teachers and residents also spoke out against the district's proposal to eliminate the fine arts coordinator position, contending that the coordinator is key to keeping the district's music program successful.   

Some residents also criticized administrators for not exhausting all options before proposing to layoff staff. Resident Zefy Christopoulos urged the administration to work with unions in the district to discuss a salary freeze for next year to save money.

Under the district's contractual agreement with the unions, Aronstein explained, about 28 teachers and 21 administrators are slated to see a 7 percent salary hike next year.

"Why can't we examine administrators and teachers freezing across the board," Christopoulos asked the school board, which was met with a long round of applause and cheers. "I want people to stay working and I don't want teachers getting cut from this district ... so I think it's time to examine what this will save the district."

Aronstein later announced that he met with the president of the teacher's and administrator's union last week to ask them to consider a salary increase freeze for next year, and added that the savings would be about $827,000— $725,000 from the teachers and $102,000 from the administrators. 

"We have approached the presidents about this and we agreed that they would go back to their executive boards and membership to discuss it and they will get back to us," Aronstein explained. "We're waiting to hear back from them."  

This strategy to reduce costs, however, sparked emotionally-charged comments from Karen Ferguson, president of the Glen Cove Teacher's Association, because, she said, every year the administration unfairly targets teachers' salaries as the cause of the budget increase. The district's proposed budget is a $2 million, or 2.94 percent, increase from the current year.

"It's March 22 and we're just hearing that if this budget doesn't pass, we will have serious cuts to our programs and the leadership wants to put this on the shoulders of our teachers," Ferguson said. "We get blamed enough. We are not taking the blame for how the district spends money and budgets for money. If this budget fails, it is not our doing, it's the leadership of the district that did not do its job."

Ferguson also proposed that if the teachers choose to freeze their salary increases next year, the district in return has to give them the raise in the 2011-12 school year and extend their contract. And Aronstein replied that he informed the school board about the teachers' request. 

Board Reaction

Since the current draft's tax levy, which is the amount of money that needs to be raised locally, is set at roughly $60 million, or 5.40 percent, administrators also said that more cuts are needed.

Ida McQuair, the board's president, noted that freezing salaries would only be a minor step in reducing expenditures in the budget because the board wants to get the tax levy under 4 percent. 

"What we need to do goes above and beyond those two pay freezes and that won't be enough," she said. 

Board member Richard Tortorici shared similar sentiments, saying that the public should remember that the school board is doing its job by lowering the tax burden on residents.

"The fact is that we're not even done because we can't present the public with an over 5 percent increase, because if we do, then we will lose another 10 teachers because we will be down a million bucks on contingency," he said. " ... We appreciate that you come out and support the staff ... but you have to understand the position we are in that this community has told us time and time again, they will not support a budget increase of the size we're talking about."

The board is expected to continue budget discussions at its next meeting on April 12 at the Robert M. Finley Middle School at 8 p.m. 

Check out Patch's video from Monday's meeting and don't forget to leave your comments below.  


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