A consistent message for the BOE

Regarding the budgetary decisions we are working to create a message that we can repeat at BOE meetings and to the media. Rochelle & I came up with this draft which is open to your thoughts..

KEY POINTS TO ARTICULATE

1.       WE NEED A REAL COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS ASSOCIATED WITH CLOSING A SCHOOL

1. Background
1. While we are provided with the gross revenue saved from closing a functioning school we are lacking information regarding the balance sheet of the costs that will incur after the closing including transportation but also, the “moth-ball’ costs of maintaining the building such as utilities and insurance.
2.  On the surface, it appears that the proposed cost benefits are in closing a school and firing the number of teachers and staff needed for one school to operate. However, it has also been said that additional classrooms can be built into two elementary schools to accommodate the students from the third. This would result not in a mass firing but a relocation of teachers. If this is true then the cost savings of closing a school such only include the facility costs with minor staffing reductions. Is the BOE's intention to fire a large portion of the teaching staff in order to save the proposed money or would that just be the potential result of less classroom space?
3.  There has been no information provided about what will happen to the empty building – will it be sold and what is the true sale value? Will it be rented, for how much, will we still be paying utilities and insurance?

2. Talking Point:

The BOE must provide a more detailed analysis of the cost/benefit of closing a school for an informed decision about whether this decision is at all cost effective and cost effective enough to sustain such a change to the face of our district.

2.    WE NEED GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY IN THE EFFORTS DONE TO DATE BY THE BOE

1. Background
1. On transparency: The Chair of the BOE budget committee articulated that the decision needs to made between funding existing programs and closing an elementary school, or, eliminating a school and keeping programming. However, we have no documentation or information as to how these two became the only items on the table. The BOE has been asked on numerous occasions about the district being administratively heavy (heavier than comparable and larger districts) despite declining numbers. We were informed that the BOE are looking at this. We have been given no documentation – meeting minutes etc. to support this contention. The BOE president informed the community that all of our suggestions have already been mulled over by the BOE for months. Again, there is no documentation of this. What have they done, what conclusions have been made?
2. On honesty: The BOE budget committee chair has articulated that closing a school would result in a 2 million dollar savings. However, we have been given no evidence that this is true. We are left wondering if this is honest or an attempt to win favor for a plan to close a school which may not yield close to this savings. New Paltz has taken a school closing off of the table as they realized it will not, in the end save much money.

2. Talking points:

We need and expect transparency for the analysis already completed by the BOE

We need and expect that the BOE is publicly honest about the real cost saving of closing a school, which to date means that they must be honest about the fact that they do not know what this savings would actually be.