Thursday, June 03, 2010
East Ramapo sets June 15 budget revote; cutbacks criticized
The $196 million school budget plan approved by the Board of Education on Tuesday retains some of the programs that would likely be cut under austerity, but the proposal has been criticized by some for including funding for nonmandated busing while cutting more than $700,000 from vice principals and department heads.
The $195,994,700 spending plan approved by a 5-3 vote will now be debated by residents until the June 15 budget revote is held.
The plan constitutes a 1.42 percent increase in spending over the current $193 million budget and could result in a tax increase of between 4.09 percent and 7.9 percent, depending on the amount of state and federal aid.
Though the proposal includes funding for programs that would likely be eliminated under austerity, such as sports, music and extracurricular activities, many of the cuts in the $198.7 million plan that was rejected May 11 remain — among them, the closure of the Hillcrest Elementary School and the elimination of more than 105 full-time staff positions.
Also included in the $196 million spending plan is a general cut of $500,000 in nonpersonnel costs, such as maintenance, and the trimming of $738,000 from costs associated with vice principals and department heads.
The board did not push for more specifics on the broad cuts, but left the details to the discretion of Superintendent of Schools Ira Oustatcher. The cuts to the assistant principal and department heads will likely lead to additional staffing cuts, but Oustatcher said Wednesday evening that no final decisions had been made.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100603/NEWS03/6030391/-1/newsfront/East-Ramapo-sets-June-15-budget-revote--cutbacks-criticized
The $195,994,700 spending plan approved by a 5-3 vote will now be debated by residents until the June 15 budget revote is held.
The plan constitutes a 1.42 percent increase in spending over the current $193 million budget and could result in a tax increase of between 4.09 percent and 7.9 percent, depending on the amount of state and federal aid.
Though the proposal includes funding for programs that would likely be eliminated under austerity, such as sports, music and extracurricular activities, many of the cuts in the $198.7 million plan that was rejected May 11 remain — among them, the closure of the Hillcrest Elementary School and the elimination of more than 105 full-time staff positions.
Also included in the $196 million spending plan is a general cut of $500,000 in nonpersonnel costs, such as maintenance, and the trimming of $738,000 from costs associated with vice principals and department heads.
The board did not push for more specifics on the broad cuts, but left the details to the discretion of Superintendent of Schools Ira Oustatcher. The cuts to the assistant principal and department heads will likely lead to additional staffing cuts, but Oustatcher said Wednesday evening that no final decisions had been made.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100603/NEWS03/6030391/-1/newsfront/East-Ramapo-sets-June-15-budget-revote--cutbacks-criticized
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