March 8th BOE Budget Meeting

Rosario presented a power point that explained about the reserve, tax levy and information about a "B" budget. This can all be found on the Rondout Web site. However, do not expect to see a detailed budget so how the revised cuts will impact particular people is difficult to tell.

One glaring omission as pointed out by a few people in the public were that, once again, no further administrative cuts were put on the table beyond the one Nurse Practitioner and one M.S. Assistant Principle.

Once again, the BOE and Rosario are creepily silent about this.

In addition the BOE was questioned about a number of line items where it seemed apparent that they are not spending OUR money wisely.

The take home message? Gail announced to us all at an advisory meeting that we should trust the BOE.

Trust is not a given.Trust is earned and lost. So far you all are losing the trust battle more and more each day.

• Demand an personnel audit of the district administration.
• Demand transparency in spending
• Demand that accurate data is used for decision making (the advisory committee still works off of inaccurate transportation data and an incomplete itemization of real expenditures and savings associated with closing a school)

BOE Budget Meeting Tonight @ 7:30 at H.S.

If you can make it tonight to the BOE budget meeting you should. If you want to talk about something you should.

As a background:
School Closing: The BOE will get the advisory committee's report on 3/15. However, Gail and a few others have been at many meetings. Gail said last night, "She was optimistic about the data showing that we can close a school." This comment which comes a week before she has even been given the report is a cause for concern. BOE members need to understand that the 5 meetings yielded data about savings which are fragile and incomplete. We do not have the information to identify the real savings (if any). The 2 million rhetoric must end but it must not be replaced with the 1.7 million dollar claim either since there are many unknowns.

Consolidation of District Administration:
Before Eileen became the Superintendent we had five administrators now we have ten. Rosario says this is all due to unfunded mandates. While it is true that there are a lot of these mandates I am having trouble, as I go through this list understanding how these support the idea that no administrator can go. Most relate to the school being required to have policies in place which either probably existed or were created for the mandate and now the policy exists. Many other mandates, such a needing four contractors for construction, seat belts and fire inspections are costly but not in the form of administrators. I am sure some mandates need an administrator to comply but which ones? How many? Can one administrator tackle multiple mandates? Rosario should present the mandates that he NEEDS administrators for and show us that every administrator is needed. By the way, there are no technology reporting mandates but there are a bunch of health mandates. Perhaps the BOE should consider this.

What Rosario Said About Closing an Elementary in December!

Published: Tuesday, December 14, 2010

By Kyle Wind
Freeman staff

KYSERIKE - Rondout Valley Superintendent Rosario Agostaro recommended Tuesday that the school board form a subcommittee to examine whether there is a more efficient way to organize the district’s schools.

Agostaro made the suggestion at the board's meeting in response to Trustee James Ayers, who asked Agostaro if he thinks the district’s elementary school program could be delivered in two schools instead of the current three.

The superintendent said he didn’t mean to “skirt around” the question, but the answer is complex. “Multiple models and ideas” are possible, he said.

Following the meeting, Agostaro said he envisioned a subcommittee of the board talking about the configuration of the entire district rather than just elementary schools.


(Was this done??)

School board President Gail Hutchins added the state’s dire financial condition compels the board to consider new ways to save money. She said school officials have had some informal discussions about starting up such a committee.

Agostaro said in addition to cost-saving measures, the committee should also consider other factors like opportunities to improve educational delivery and what the community wants.

Community: Tell Rosario what you want.

Last Advisory Meeting 3/7

There was a transportation update where the computer generated estimates somehow resulted in 6 extra buses (than we now use) in our 3 school current model. It did other weird things. Gloria admitted that she did not use the computer to do this sort of thing. Discussion ensued as to whether transportation information should be added into savings or not. It looks like it will be taken out with a note from Gloria (explaining what? I am not sure.

There was an estimate or the cost of moving. They added $67,376 as a cost but never answered what happens to all of the items that do not get moved to a school. Apparently it will sit in the empty building and rot along with the building.

There was a presentation of cost savings. If you hear that it is a 1.7 million dollar savings to close a school don't take that at face value. PLEASE KNOW this is based on projections that do not necessarily consider the real staffing needs of school that will have over 100 kids more in each. They also exclude unexpected costs in renovations related the move. We do not know the real savings.

The group discussed class sizes next. Based on the lowest enrollment projection we would see classes of 22-27 including inclusion if they closed a school. Most seemed to agree that this was too high - it would hurt teaching, learning, special needs. This is the strongest argument on the table. Two schools simply can't handle current or projected enrollments without having class sizes well over 25.

Yet when asked, Gail, president of the BOE said, "I am feeling encouraged about the consolidation." Huh? Have you been listening Gail or did you decide this before this group met and you  plan to stay encouraged no matter what the advisory group reports?

Tomorrow is a BOE Budget meeting. The BOE will NOT have the advisory report yet. Still feel free to tell them that you will not stand for these excessively large classrooms. Feel free to plug the consolidation of the district administration while you are there as well.. Just over 8 years ago we had 5 people in the district now there are 10? I used to count transportation but I just learned it is not an administration position.

On March 15th at 7:30 the advisory committee's thoughts will be presented to and discussed by the BOE. Definitely come to that if you can.

Gag Order for Today's Meeting?

Rumor has it there will be no public comment allowed tonight. This decision seems to not have come from a democratic consensus of the committee but rather as an authoritarian order. Why would it be decided to shut out the many community people, principles, teachers and parents who have also given their time to this process? 

Are we going to keep letting this process be manipulated leaving us feeling powerless to accept whatever fate the BOE decides?

If you are unhappy with this let Breanna know: breannacostello@hotmail.com

Do They Have Reason to Close?

Would they be closing to save us during this budget crisis? 

NO, since it appears that with moving costs the money saved by a school closure is ONLY just over $100,000.

Would they be closing because of declining enrollment in the elementary schools?

NO, since for the past four years, and based on current enrollment trends for next year's kindergarten, it looks like we are staying even if not slightly increasing enrollment in the elementary schools.

WHAT'S LEFT?

Why would they subject so many people (children & teacher's primarily) to emotional anguish in order to close a school leaving it to sit and rot when it saves little money and would result in making the two existing school over 60% larger, more crowded, less safe, making it harder for teachers to do their great work, and cutting down what is currently our district's greatest asset?

WHO KNOWS. 

MAYBE THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHY ROSARIO REFUSES TO SUBJECT HIS TOP HEAVY ADMINISTRATION TO AN AUDIT.

Scary.

A Look at Class Size

Rosario provided an analysis of class size. There were three problems I noted. My focus is on Kerhonsen since if any school closes, it seems unlikely to be KES so the easiest picture is there.

1. For a special education estimate for kindergarten he wrote "to be determined". Why not use the rate of the other grades and put in a guess so that we can have a clearer idea?
2. For the number of available classrooms, Rosario listed 20. On his list provided last week, he reported that there were 21 classes. However, it was pointed out that he was counting a behavioral management classroom and an OT/PT room in the list. This would mean that if we do not cut services to special needs the classroom count is really 19.
3. The projection provided is again, shortsighted. What happens in 2012? 

Below I first present his numbers (Table 1). Then I present Table 2 which adjusts Rosario's by estimating 6 kids in kindergarten special ed (based on other years). Then I present Table 3 which simply moves each kid in the 2011 projection to the next grade in 2012 and estimates no growth in the kindergarten.

If we use Rosario's estimates, and we add 7 special education kids to KES and 8 to the RES/MES model (simply using the average from the other grades) then that suggests that we could have 791 kids in our elementary school next year. In 2008 we had 776, in 2009 we had 772, in 2010 we have 782. A prediction for 791 for 2011 means for the past 4 years WE DO NOT HAVE DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. We may be seeing quite the opposite in the next few years if this stupid idea does not mean that we lose too many kids to High Meadow. If you do not like the class sizes projected here imagine, it could get worse.

Table 1: What Rosario Presented:

Kindergarten - 4th Grade Elementary School(s) - two schools
School #1 (KES)
Grade Level	Number of Classes	Student Enrollment		Class Size Average
		General Education	Special Education
Kindergarten	4	74	tbd	18.5
1st Grade	3	63	6	23.0
2nd Grade	4	71	8	19.8
3rd Grade	5	93	5	19.6
4th Grade	4	72	6	19.5
Special Education	2

 total classes need = 20

Total =398

Table 2: Adding 6 Kids to Special Education in Kindergarten and Taking one Class Out for 19 Non-Special Needs Classrooms.

Kindergarten - 4th Grade Elementary School(s) - two schools
School #1 (KES)
Grade Level	Number of Classes	Student Enrollment		Class Size Average
		General Education	Special Education
Kindergarten	4	74	6	20.0
1st Grade	3	63	6	23.0
2nd Grade	4	71	8	19.8
3rd Grade	5	93	5	19.6
4th Grade	3	72	6	26.0
Special Education	2
Total = 403

Table 3: Projections for 2012 Moving All Students Up with No Increase in K Enrollment

Kindergarten - 4th Grade Elementary School(s) - two schools
School #1 - South (KES) - 2012
Grade Level	Number of Classes	Student Enrollment		Class Size Average
		General Education	Special Education
Kindergarten	4	74	7	20.3
1st Grade	4	74	7	20.3
2nd Grade	3	63	6	23.0
3rd Grade	4	71	8	19.8
4th Grade	4	93	5	24.5
Special Education	2
Total school enrollment = 408 - if no growth

Keep in mind these are average class size. Will inclusion be a bit smaller making the non-inclusion even larger? are these number o.k.? Every piece of research I read says student perform better academically in the short and long term with smaller class size. How will these sizes impact our KES kids? Also keep in mind that this means over 100 more kids in KES (if we have no more growth). What are the implications of that?