York Town News
Schools meet Tax Task Force budget target as Baldacci's plan raises questions
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - The good news, from a budget standpoint, is that the York School Department's proposed fiscal 2008 operating budget has met the Property Tax Task Force target of a 4.7 percent increase.Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione presented an overview of the proposed $24.8 million budget to the School Committee last Wednesday, Jan. 3, with budget workshops with the school principals and department heads in the days since.
"The budget helps us address our student needs and accomplish what we set out to do through our strategic plan," Scipione explained, while staying within the Tax Task Force target.
The proposed budget adjusts teaching positions to meet enrollment changes, targets maintenance needs in all schools, addresses increased energy and healthcare costs, responds to increasing special education needs and holds instructional expenses in check, Scipione told the board.
"We ended up cutting over $660,000 from that budget, from the initial proposal, to bring that in at 4.7 percent," he said. "It comes painfully, but we also recognize our need … to present a budget that comes within the recommendation of the task force."
Among the items not included in the budget is a request for an additional day to create a full-time Horizons program for the elementary schools and a foreign language program for grades K through 2.
First and foremost, the budget includes a plan to create a long-discussed full-day kindergarten program, with voter approval.
Scipione and Village Elementary School Principal Ruth Dealy explained that two of the three needed positions will be filled by shifting teachers from grades with lower enrollment to allow for the requisite number of full-day kindergarten sections while adding just one new position.
However, the plan will likely mean that the second grade, which is currently spending its first year together under one roof at Village Elementary School, will be split up again between Village and Coastal Ridge in the fall.
"That recommendation is coming forward after a lot of deliberations administratively considering the impact of that," Scipione said.
Dealy explained that with the drop in enrollment, this is the time when the long-discussed move to full-day kindergarten is possible with the least impact on the budget.
Scipione explained that enrollment for the current school year, as of Dec. 1, is 1,971 students and is projected to drop to 1,902 students next year.
"I do have to say, given the standards and the expectations for kindergartners, it really is difficult to do what we have to do in a half a day," Dealy said of the move to a full-day program, adding, "I guess the biggest concern with the staff at Village … is that they are very concerned with development as well, and looking at the growth of the whole child. … We socialize children to be adults in our society."
Dealy said that while they were saddened to be losing the opportunity of having the full grade together, they realize the need for the kindergarten program.
"We're constantly trying to improve and better the programs for our children. … That has just been an extraordinary experience for them, professionally," she said, but added, "Overwhelmingly, they said that while we regret what may happen to the second-grade team, this is the way we have to move. … This is what York has been looking for."
Coastal Ridge Elementary School Principal Jane Stephenson agreed.
At Coastal, she said, "At first the reaction was, but wait, what about second grade … As we talked about it, it was a no-brainer for Ruth and myself, that this needs to be the time to do it … to bite the bullet and put this in. … I don't want to be behind the majority of the communities in the state of Maine … or the nation."
The School Committee has begun its work sessions on the budget and several members have indicated interest in seeking a way to fund the elementary foreign language position.
Scipione said such priorities as technology, Horizons and foreign language were all difficult to leave out of the budget but that, at this time, "We're coming forward with the recommendation for the full-day K … we think that will have the highest impact."
In addition to the one position for kindergarten, two educational technicians for Special Education are being requested to replace the services of the Sweetser program, which has left town.
No decision on the York High School arts wing project has been made at this time, but if a proposal is to be brought forward for the May election that must be done by the end of the month, Scipione confirmed, to meet the deadlines for Budget Committee review.
The School Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing next Wednesday, Jan. 17, on the auditorium and operating budget at 6 p.m. at the York Public Library, with the adoption of the budget tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18.
On the town side, Town Manager Rob Yandow told the Board of Selectmen that budget work is ongoing, with the first draft of the fiscal 2008 budget coming in at just over $11.5 million, up about 5.95 percent over last year's budget of almost $10.9 million.
Part of that change, he said, has to do with the shift of certain expenses from capital to operating accounts.
"This is the first cut," he said, adding, "We're going to do a lot more work on this before it's done."
As the work of the Capital Planning Committee continues, the Board of Selectmen has agreed 4-1 to reconfigure that committee without selectmen-appointed citizens, in response to concerns expressed by the School Committee. Selectman Len Dorrian cast the one dissenting vote.
"There's nothing more important for the town than for all of these boards to work together," Selectmen Chairman David Marshall said. " … I don't think the gain for doing it is anywhere as big as the loss."
And, just as the public budget review work got underway in earnest at the local level, Gov. John Baldacci announced his statewide budget plan to include a reduction in the number of superintendents, statewide, from 152 to 26.
When asked about the plan, Scipione said there are more questions than answers at this time for what this could mean locally.
The central office functions would be regionalized, he explained, with indications that the administrative work would be centered on regional vocational centers. In southern York County, that would mean Sanford.
Baldacci's plan includes increased class sizes as well as increased teacher pay, with state funding being brought to the 55 percent level. But, as Scipione said, it also appears to mean a loss of local control.
"We just don't know what this means," he said, adding there needs to be sensitivity to cost savings while addressing issues of local control.
