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Superintendent Spring presents 2019-2020 draft budget
Draft plan calls for 61 positions, boosts general education continuum & lowers tax levy
Schenectady Superintendent Larry Spring presented, to the board of education on April 3, a $202 million draft budget that adds 61 positions, including teachers and clinicians that serve to expand and support both the general education continuum and social emotional learning as well as positions and program enhancements that are poised to help high school students graduate. The plan, which represents a 3.96% increase over the current year, also calls for a 1.44% or $750,000 reduction of the tax levy, making it the lowest it has been since 2010.
District Budget Proposal: $7.7. million increase (3.96%)
Programs and Services: $4.3 million increase (2.19%)
Tax Levy: $750,000 decrease (-1.44%)
Schenectady is able to add $4.3 million in staff, programs and services due to a $7.7 million increase in Foundation Aid. “We think we got a reasonable increase,” said Spring. “The distribution of aid is more to the liking of what we think it should be, prioritizing higher need districts.” While Schenectady is still shorted, the increase in 2019-2020 will afford the district to do much more.
The draft proposal calls for the addition of 31.5 teachers, 4 administrators, 3 paraprofessionals, 1.5 secretarial positions, 3 operations and maintenance positions, a middle management position and 17 other positions including teacher interns, school substitutes and a liaison/translator.
Under the proposal, every school in the district is set to receive a boost. The amount that each school receives is based on a building needs index with 1 having the least need and 4 having the most. The needs index considers many variables including proficiency, poverty rate, reading, special education classification rates, behavior, suspensions, daily attendance, retention and English as a New Language (ENL).
When the budget development process began, Spring asked school and district leaders to submit proposals for things that they determined were needed to support student academic growth going forward. Those proposals came to a total of approximately $17 million. In recent days, those same leaders met to discuss and prioritize items.
The draft proposal includes:
Elementary Program Changes: $1,746,400
Middle School Program Changes: $854,000
High School Program Changes: $1,086,500
District Support Staffing Changes: $1,092,900
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General Education Continuum Teachers
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8.5
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Students who are served through GEC are making progress. Schools want to add this. Literacy improvement.
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Teachers at Schenectady High school
(Earth Sci., ELA, Math, Soc. Studies, Visual Arts, Tech.)
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6.0
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By adding 6 teachers, more sections will be created/960 student slots. Fills holes in schedules with course credits.
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Special Education Teachers
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2.0
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Elementary
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Common Branch Teacher (Van Corlaer)
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1.0
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To eliminate split
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Teacher Induction Coach
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1.0
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Teacher to serve as a mentor all new teachers regardless of when they are hired. Provide support, feedback etc.
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Instructional Support Teacher
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1.0
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Middle School
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AVID Teacher (Social Studies)
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1.0
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High School – Program Expansion
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Grad Lab Teacher
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1.0
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High School – Focus is on students who want to graduate but have barriers before them.
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Math Intervention Specialist
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1.0
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Elementary School
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School Counselor
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1.5
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Middle School
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Social Workers
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4.5
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Elementary and Middle School & 1 Crisis Prevention
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Psychologist
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1.0
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Mont Pleasant Middle School
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Intensive Case Manager
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1.0
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High School
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Engagement Dean
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1.0
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High School
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Instructional Supervisor
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1.0
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This will provide position to the only elementary school that does not have one.
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Teacher Interns
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12
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Pre-Service Teachers – 2 years of working in district with certified teacher as co-teacher, participating in professional development.
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Substitute Teachers
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2.0
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Elementary School
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Crisis Prevention Team Office Manager
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1.0
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Allows the clinicians to see more kids and to do so more efficiently.
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Equity & Cultural Responsive Education Supervisor
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1.0
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Provide professional development, bring awareness to and push work in the shift to culturally responsive instruction
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Assistant Director Student Intervention Services
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1.0
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This position addresses growth in the General Education Continuum and systems within.
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Assistant Principal
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1.0
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Elementary School
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Teaching Assistants
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3.0
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Elementary School
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Diversion Specialist
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1.0
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Will work with families whose children are on diversion to keep them engaged, on until moved to case workers or service provider in school.
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Fiscal Analyst
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1.0
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Analysis for long range planning and effective spending
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Central Receiving/Duplication Clerk
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1.0
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Addresses the heavy volume of work that results in overtime
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HVAC – R Technician
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1.0
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Districtwide Need – Have made cuts in this area in the past. Positions not restored. There is work that needs to be addressed immediately.
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HVAC Technician
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1.0
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Districtwide Need – Have made cuts in this area in the past. Positions not restored. There is work that needs to be addressed immediately.
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Account Clerk Typist
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.5
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Increase .5 position to 1.0 – dedicate to co-curricular accounts.
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Cleaner
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1.0
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Great need for additional cleaners.
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Data Counselor
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Adding time in summer for data counselor so work on data can be done prior to September
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Hispanic Liaison Translator
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Part-time
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Parent Liaison Hours
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Afterschool Program
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Student Supplies - $5 per student
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Additionally - Looking at list of supplies systematically and determining what we can purchase as a school to reduce the cost for parents.
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Summer Enrichment Program
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Services students in Pre-K through 8
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District Vehicle
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Transportation of small groups and teams
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Software Licenses
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Computer Technology
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APEX Software Licensing
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Student Field Trips
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Professional Development Conference
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Mediation Matters Expansion
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Middle School
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AVID Expansion
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Middle and High School
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Through the process, the following were identified as needs but will be funded using carryover from 2018-2019:
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Graphing Calculators/Microscopes
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Classroom Libraries – Grades 4, 5
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Bookmobile
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Literacy and Math Interventions
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Research-Based Reading Materials
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Math Kits for Intervention
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Social Emotional Learning Curriculum
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Tier 3 Curriculum
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Chromebook Carts
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Auditorium Sound System at Mont Pleasant
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Replace Gym Partition at SHS
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Replace Kiln at SHS
“We want to continue to add to the General Education Continuum and add sections to the high school,” said Spring. “We are seeing accelerated growth with the GEC – it’s fantastic.” He said the district also needs to be able to continue to feed those places where there is mental health need. Spring stressed that “reducing the tax levy again, is important.”
Throughout the budget development process, input was collected through community engagement sessions, school-based meetings, Let’s Thought and Thoughtexchange.
A budget proposal will be presented on April 10. The board is expected to adopt a final budget on April 17.