by Anthony Rifilato
In unveiling last Wednesday the instructional portion of the budget, which accounts for 77 percent of the total budget and includes teachers' salaries and money for educational programs, transportation and athletics, the board said it has crafted a budget that maintains its current programs, such as Academic Intervention Services, reduced class sizes and full-day kindergarten.
"What's most important about this portion of the budget is that it is maintained," board President James Scannell said after the meeting. Scannell said that as the district tries to adapt to rising costs, one of the board's main goals is to avoid cuts to instructional programs, the "part of the budget that directly impacts education," he said.
But there are significant increases in the instructional portion of the budget, which totals $63 million.
Most of the increases are from regular program salary hikes, which have risen to $32 million, up $1 million from last year. The bulk of the increases are due to contractual raises and the rising cost of benefits in the district, said board members.
The biggest salary hikes come for high school and elementary teachers. Teacher salaries for grades one through five would increase $456,050 to $9,577,045, and teacher salaries in the high school would rise by $479,800 to $9,203,450.
The special-education program will also get a boost, including a middle school special-education chairperson and social worker hired last year, and five special-education aides at the middle school for next year. A special-education teacher is proposed for the middle school and a special-education AIS teacher at Meadow Elementary School.
The district will see savings in tuition for the 416 students who receive special-education services outside the district, which has dropped $226,500 to $1,252,955. Scannell attributed the difference to a few more students receiving services in Baldwin.
Staff adjustments are minimal, and the board sees a need for only three new teachers, split between the high school and middle school. Initially, Superintendent Kathy Weiss had proposed hiring six new teachers, but she reassessed the need and said that three teachers would be enough to maintain programs and bring class sizes down.
The board has also proposed hiring 10 new teacher aides district-wide and two security aides at the middle school to provide for more oversight for after-school activities, and possibly lengthening the hours for security personnel from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The board also proposed hiring an assistant superintendent for business and administration, who would serve under Deputy Superintendent Lee Chapman. Chapman is retiring at the end of the 2003-04 school year, and the new position is part of a transitional plan for when he leaves.
There were decreases in the special-allocations portion of the budget, a figure that has dropped $271,290 to $88,940. Last year's budget accounted for a number of expensive items, such as automatic external defibrillators, which were required by law and cost more than $65,000. This year, however, special allocations consist of ELA and math prep classes for fourth and eighth grade, each of which would be held on two Saturdays during the school year.
Special allocations also include new eighth-grade electives such as a Latin class, as well as an advisor program in the middle school.
Computer-assisted instruction has spiked to $1,040,585, up from $774,900 for the current school year. Chapman said that the increase is due to the implementation of the Wide Area Network and computer upgrades.
Elsewhere, the board has proposed purchasing two mini-buses to transport students to special-education programs, as well as scheduling additional runs for its regular fleet in order to alleviate overcrowding.
Graduation plans
Aside from talk of textbooks, supplies and equipment, the board also discussed a proposal to move high school graduation indoors or off-campus in inclement weather, after last year's abrupt cancellation due to a thunderstorm. The budget estimate for an indoor graduation is $1,400 and calls for the ceremony to be held in the gym. The proposed contingency plan includes preparation for both outdoor and indoor ceremonies, and in the event of bad weather, issuing a set number of tickets and, once the gym is full, accommodating overflow spectators in the auditorium, commons area and cafeteria, where they would watch the ceremony on big-screen TVs.
"We wouldn't have to worry if something comes up," said Weiss.
An off-campus ceremony also was suggested, at a cost of $11,000, but an indoor graduation seemed to be the more popular proposal in the case of bad weather.
"It's only a positive if it rains," board member B.A. Schoen said of an off-campus graduation. He said that the $11,000 would be an added cost every year. Schoen noted last year's unfortunate cancellation, and how an indoor option could have proved beneficial.
"People would prefer to be at Baldwin High School," he said.
Some proposed additions to the 2003-04 school budget
*Teacher salary additions, mainly due to contracts
- Grade 1-5 teacher salaries up $456,050
- High school teacher salaries up $479,800
*Staff additions
- 5 special-education aides at the middle school
- 1 special-education teacher at the middle school
- 1 special-education AIS teacher at Meadow Elementary School
- 10 teacher aides district-wide
- 3 new teachers in the high school and middle school
- 2 security aides in the middle school
- Assistant superintendent for business and administration
*Program additions
- ELA and math prep classes for fourth and eighth grade
- Latin class
- Advisor program in the middle school
- Two mini-buses for transport to special-education programs
- New Wide Area Network computer system
