School Budget Plan Meets Cap, Cuts 35 Teachers

The Half Hollow Hills Board of Education plans to cut 35 teachers, freeze administrative salaries and trim spending to present a school budget within the state’s new property tax cap, district administrators said during Tuesday’s budget forum at .

The preliminary budget is currently set at $221.9 million, which would result in an increase of 2.75 percent from the current year’s spending plan. The difference is the lowest budget-to-budget increase in 15 years, Superintendent Kelly Fallon said. 

The spending plan is expected to result in a 2.37 percent property tax levy increase, which complies with the state’s new limitations.

“We will do everything we can to not change the program for our children,” the superintendent said. “We are committed to the students of Half Hollow Hills and this community, and we hope you will recognize our commitment.”

In order to stay within the state limitations, the board said it would cut 35 teaching positions, 18 of which are due to lower student enrollment on the elementary level. In addition, 26 positions district-wide are being chopped, including clerical, guidance, psychologists and other staff.

The district is cutting back on the top level as well. The board of education of district administrators for two full years on Monday at . The resolution will stop all increases for the district's administrators during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. Included is a stipulation that there will be no terminations due to budgetary reasons. The salary freeze will save $1.2 million over the two-year period, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Facilities Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo said. Teachers, however, will have their step increases reinstated after taking a freeze this school year.

Other expenses such as a printed yearly district calendar will also be dropped. The combined cuts equal a savings of $6.8 million, Marrone Caliendo said.

With 14 teachers cut last year and an additional 35 given pink slips this week, some community members criticized the absence of reductions among the administration.

The audience let out applause when resident Georgia Bouklas questioned the district's salary freeze agreement in which no administrators can be fired for budgetary reasons within the next two years.

“Why are they protected?” she asked. “Teachers are the ones who are really the advocates for our students. We’re so heavy with administrative positions, but we fire our teachers. They are the ones who we need for prime education. If we are going to cut teachers, I would like to see some percent chopped in the administration as well.”

While the preliminary budget will cut 61 jobs, it is a much better outlook for the district than what was expected last month, when the board of education .

Current figures include $624,570 in state aid that the district will be able to take advantage of. Other savings come from a significant decrease in expected health care costs, tax anticipation notes and the repeal of the MTA tax. BOCES' freeze on its tuition and six retirements in the district also contributed to the savings.

Since the budget is still in its early stages, figures are expected to change as schools receive more information from the state.

“Nothing is final,” board president Jeanine Bottenus said.

If the board were to present a budget above the 2.37 percent tax levy limit, it would require a supermajority of more than 60 percent in favor of the plan to pass. If it failed twice, the district would be forced to use a constingent budget, resulting in far greater cuts.

Fallon said that the chance of the budget failing under a supermajority would be too great to risk. She said it was her recommendation that the board present a budget within the tax limitation, and therefore be decided on by a majority vote.