From the BCCT.
Let's not go this far just yet. The first paragraph, "undisclosed unilateral decisions by the board chairman, secret discussions about shipping high school students to another district, and other shenanigans" speaks volumes by chapter and verse regarding the track this school board is traveling.
There's a lack of ethics at work here on a 24/7 basis.
So while the numbers may add up, does the action those budget numbers represent also add up? A stopped clock is wrong twice a day and every yin must have some yang.
With all due respect to the esteemed Dr. Yonson, the Emperor has very little use for her in public and in private. Perhaps we should recognize that she and her staff have done wonders with what little she has to work with rather than using her endorsement as proof the budget, and the strategy behind it, is sound.
Incredible shrinking budget
Here’s one you don’t hear very often.
Morrisville school board members have taken a lot of flack in the last year or so — from the community and also from us. They deserved most of it: Undisclosed unilateral decisions by the board chairman, secret discussions about shipping high school students to another district, and other shenanigans have earned the board majority just and heated criticism.
But board members deserve credit as well. We refer to this recent headline: “No tax increase for district.”
When was the last time you read that one?
Credit the board’s focus on cutting expenses. Admittedly, board members have gotten help via the departure of high-salaried administrators who have not been replaced, and the shuttering of an elementary school after a boiler fire. But a concerted effort to identify and end wasteful practices such as the extraneous use of paper helped produce a budget that proposes spending a million dollars less than last year.
The motivations driving this board often are wrong-headed. So while there is good reason to remain skeptical of almost anything this board does, it’s reassuring that Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson has given the zero-tax increase spending plan her seal of approval.
“I can assure you all the cuts will not change any of the programs we’ve been doing,” Yonson said.
We’re glad to hear it. Morrisville students and parents have been through enough.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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1 comment:
"But a concerted effort to identify and end wasteful practices such as the extraneous use of paper helped produce a budget that proposes spending a million dollars less than last year".
A casual reader might think that the $1 million budget cut was mostly from curtailing bloated Supplies like paper.
In this budget, spending on Supplies drops about $149k (from $437k to $288k). Don't know how much of this is from paper management, but obviously it's < 100% of it. At the 4/22 board mtg., Dr. Yonson left me with the impression that Supplies spending was really really squeezed this (ELECTION) year, and that it may have to rebound next year (or perhaps be put more on the backs of parents, teachers, etc. to replaced depleted inventories). Time will tell....
BUT....the biggest spending cut by far is a $694k drop (from $1,899k to $1,205k) in “Purchased Professional & Technical Services” under "Special Programs". In short, "Special Ed. Services". This was attributed to the work of Mr. Gesualdi, but these large cuts left me feeling uneasy. I wasn't really assured that someone wasn't being denied certain Special Ed. services, or wasn't being conveniently re-classified into a "cheaper" Special Ed. service category. I'd feel better if Mr. Gesualdi himself explained things in more detail.
'Til then, I'm going to remain skeptical that this budget won't affect education.
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