Rumor Blaster / Message Board
Questions from Board Meetings:
10/8/09> Information in response to questions asked at the Board of Education Meeting:
The responses to the Capital Reserve and Roanoke balcony questions raised at the September 22, 2009 Board of Education meeting are as follows:
How much of the $10 Million Capital Reserve Project has been funded? When will the Project be fully funded?
The $10M Capital Reserve Project funding to date is $8.9M.
$500K will be applied in November 2009. The final $600K will be applied in November 2010.
How much money has been spent on Capital Reserve Projects to date? Where is the remaining money?
$2.9 M has been spent on Projects.
$6.0 M is in a Capital Reserve Bank Account. (as of 10/8/09)
What is the status of the Pulaski Fuel Tank replacement and the Districtwide Security Camera Projects? How did the District pay for these projects?
The Pulaski Tank and Districtwide Security projects are complete. They were paid through the Capital Reserve Fund.
Why was the Roanoke Avenue School's balcony closed?
The Roanoke balcony was closed by the former Town Fire Marshall, Bruce Johnson, due to safety concerns. All the exits from the balcony are on the same side. There is no alternate way to exit the balcony--no alternate egress (i.e., no steps or fire escape). Also of concern is the front rail height.
>Also SEE Facilities Work 2008-09
4/28/09> Information in response to questions asked at the Board of Education Meeting:
The state of our economy is in the news everyday and the news is not good. This impacts every facet of our business, which is educating our children. Some businesses have placed employees on mandated four-day, work weeks while other agencies have instituted unpaid furloughs. We must also realize that last year, our district residents who live in the Town of Southampton endured an unprecedented tax increase due to loss of Community Preservation Funds (CPF). What our residents supported as acceptable in terms of budget increases in prior years is not acceptable now.
This financial difficulty has a significant impact upon our district. It is our obligation to continue to provide the best education possible for our students while being conscious that our residents cannot afford additional property taxes. Recently, we have heard that the State Budget does not include money for the STAR rebates. This is an additional burden to our taxpayers.
In an effort to diminish rumors, we would like to clarify the following issues for you:
1. Fiction: The Federal Stimulus Package will reinstate all cuts.
Fact: Though we thank Congressman Bishop for working on the Federal Stimulus Package that will bring the district $736,000 each year for the next two years, this money must be spent for our Title I (remedial services) and IDEA (special education) programs. While we have used this money to save four positions, these funds cannot, however, be used for general fund budget expenditures.
2. Fiction: The State Aid that has been reinstated will restore all cuts.
Fact: We developed our budget this year based on maintaining state aid at the 2008-2009 level. Regardless of the restored state aid, we will still need to increase the 2009-2010 budget for insurance premiums, medical premiums, normal operating purchases, and various required obligations, as well as an additional $4 million to meet contractual obligations for our bargaining units.
3. Fiction: The removal of Staff Development such as the Teachers’ College Initiative will reinstate positions.
Fact: The money for our professional development comes from grant monies, mostly Title IIA which is specifically earmarked for professional development. Additionally, it is imperative that we continue providing professional development to our staff to meet our students’ diverse learning needs.
4. Fiction: Class sizes will be at maximum contractual limits.
Fact: Class sizes for ALL of our schools will continue to be well below contractual limits. For example, our K-2 classes will average 22 students per class and we will continue utilizing a Teaching Assistant in all K-1 classes.
5. Fiction: If NYC can prevent mass layoffs, we should be able to do so as well.
Fact: Funding in NYC schools is very different from the funding process on Long Island. First and foremost, the NYC school budget is NOT voted upon by the taxpayers and is part of the overall NYC budget. As you know, we must consider what our taxpayers can afford in developing our budget. Additionally, NYC’s level of state aid is far greater than ours; therefore, their dependence on aid is greater. For example, roughly 19% of our budget comes from State Aid the rest basically comes from our taxpayers. New York City is quite the opposite story. The majority of their money comes from State Aid. Long Island receives 12% of all available State Aid while NYC gets 39.5%.
6. Fiction: Changing the income tax brackets to increase taxes for the wealthy will restore positions.
Fact: How the State chooses to expend these funds when they are collected has yet to be determined.
This has been an incredibly difficult budget year and, as the economists have predicted, will be even more challenging next year. We must all “tighten our belts” in order to weather this economic storm. Many of you have offered your suggestions on how we can save money or have made monetary sacrifices for the sake of the district. We thank all of you for your contributions.
We will continue to analyze our budget for cost-saving measures while continuing our efforts to challenge our students to reach higher academic standards. We thank you for your support. Please know that as we work together for the good of our children, we will provide the best education possible for all of our youngsters.
> Information in response to a question at the 3/10/09 Board of Education Meeting:
Re: Mr. Mason Haas inquired as to whether the district would be willing to make several buses available to a group of residents to travel together to Hauppauge to lobby our legislators in protest of the policy of housing registered sex offenders in the Department of Social Services' trailer in the parking lot of the county jail in Riverside on Route 24.
Answer: IT WAS DETERMINED BY OUR INSURANCE PROVIDER (NYSIR) that we cannot accommodate that request. According to our insurance provider, we cannot lend out district buses, even with payment, because our insurance does not cover it. The requirements for public school buses clearly indicate that the purpose of transportation in our district is for public school students from home to school and to home from school and for extracurricular school activities that are organized and paid for by the school district.
> Information in response to a question at the 10/28/08 Board of Education Meeting:
Re: Tuthill Property. the District was centralized in 1956. Some time after that, the Board decided to get rid of the wooden schools (2-4 buildings) and build three elementary schools: Phillips, a school on Tuthill, and Riley. Soon after this, the Board purchased three parcels of land. The Tuthill property was purchased from a farmer for $33,000 after a referendum was passed by the district."
> Information in response to questions brought up at 7/8/08 Board of Education Meeting:
RCSD buses idle for no more than five minutes, unless idling is necessary for heating, mechanical or emergency conditions. This is in accordance with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Rules and Regulations, Title 6, Chapter 3, Part 217-32.
Crew (Rowing) is not at present part of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association—Section XI Program. The Varsity Crew team is under the umbrella of the Riverhead Athletic Program but considered a club team. This is the standard situation for the school teams we compete against.
The shirts the team members were wearing at the Big Duck Regatta were brand new.
The Board meetings scheduled for October were changed to October 14th and 28th.
> Answers to Other Questions raised on the Agenda during the 7/8/08 Board meeting:
1. Letter V. Appointment of Psychiatrists for Psychiatric Evaluations
The salary range for the psychiatrists is from $500.00-$1500.00 per evaluation depending on the scope of the evaluation. The Committee on Special Education (CSE) recommends psychiatric evaluations for certain students for diagnosis and recommended treatment or services.
2. Letter L. Approval of Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program for 2008-2009
Through the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program Grant, the district receives $2,700 per student participant. These funds are distributed to the BOE approved program providers based on enrollment. The district currently contracts with SCOPE as a provider for in-district pre-kindergarten classes in Aquebogue and Phillips Ave. The district provides the classroom space along with the regular maintenance of the classrooms.
3. Letter K. Approval of Contracts
The Memorandum of Agreement with the Riverhead Youth Bureau for the Dine and Discuss program is contingent upon the Riverhead Youth Bureau receiving the Full Circle Grant Award that was applied for in the spring of 2008. If the award is granted, there will be a full report to the BOE for acceptance and approval.
