Vote on New Rochelle Schools Budget to Be Held Tuesday

New Rochelle School District voters have to make a decision Tuesday whether to approve a $234 million spending package to fund the 2012-13 school year.

"We want to get the word out that people should come out and vote," said Superintendent Richard Organisciak.

The budget the school board approved and sent for voter approval is $234,174,978, up 1.43 percent over the adopted 2011-2012 budget of $230,872,398.

The amount of taxes the school district has to raise in order to pay for the spending—the tax levy—is $185,766,917, which is a 2.13 percent increase over the 2011-12 tax levy of $181,889,144.

The increase exceeds the state mandated tax cap of 2 percent because certain costs such as pension contributions are excluded.

A tax rate increase of 4.13 percent is estimate by the district. The actual tax rate will be determined in the fall when the city's tax roll is set.

If the budget doesn't pass, district could be faced with operating under a contingency budget of $230,297,205, which is 0.25 percent less than the 2011-12 budget.

Major factors affecting the budget increase included a $5.7 million reduction of state aid, the ending of federal stimulus money and increases to insurance premiums and pension contributions.

Organisciak said programming is at the top of the list of things the districts tries to protect, especially when faced with tough budget decisions.

"The impact this time has not been a reduction in offerings," he said, "but additions in things like class sizes."

The purchase of supplies and resources has been "bumped down," Organisciak said, "and we've lessened the numbers of support personnel."

This time around, he said, there will be 38.5 staff positions cut that will likely result in 27 layoffs. Approximate numbers include three teaching positions, nine teaching assistants, seven from building and grounds, four clerical jobs and five teaching associates such as monitors.

"If the budget were not passed, the numbers would be higher," Organisciak said.

He said it was a lower number than for the 2011-12 school year, which resulted in about 30 layoffs. Two years prior there were 35 actual layoffs.

Organisciak said it was a fine line to follow with layoffs because they can weaken support services.

"Eventually it will decimate the ranks," he said.

Each budget has to consider subsequent years, Organisciak said, especially when the district—like most others—has to draw from cash reserves to pay the bills.

This year the district proposes to use $6 million in fund balance to offset spending.

That leaves the district with a little over $14 million in fund balance.

"I think we pretty much have gotten to the point where this is all we are comfortable with spending," Orgnaisciak said, adding that emergency spending or unplanned tax refunds could seriously affect the district's bank account.

In addition to the budget vote, New Rochelleans will be asked to vote for two school board positions. Incumbents Chrisanne Petrone and David Lacher are running unopposed.