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?

The Final Advisory Meeting Approaches

Monday is the last advisory meeting - 5:30 at the high school auditorium. Please come if you can. I was thinking perhaps we should all bring our children. This is just a thought but this decision impacts them and while I know the advisory board is empathetic to how this will impact our kids, I would expect we will see administration and a few BOE members (other than Brianna) there as well. They should have to look at our kids faces before making their decision.

E-mail me privately if you would consider bringing your child so that I can communicate with those of you who think you might do this.

From the Alliance for Quality Education

All around the state, we've been working day in and day out to make sure our kids get the college and career options they deserve, not more budget cuts. Thousands of faxes and emails have been sent to Governor Cuomo and events and public actions have been held all over the state to let the Governor know that he needs to protect school children, not millionaires!

Here are three ways for you to get involved:

1. Write an email to Governor Cuomo!

On February 19th, Campaign for Fiscal Equity plaintiff, New York City Councilman Robert Jackson lead a march of 250 parents and students to the Governor's Mansion in Albany to rally against the $1.5 billion proposed education budget cut. The marchers delivered thousands of handwritten letters demanding  the Governor to  to restore education funding!

                                 

Click HERE to send your own letter telling Governor Cuomo to stand up for the children of New York State instead of millioniares and billionaires!

2. Make a video for our 'Dear Governor Cuomo' video contest!

There are just EIGHT days left to submit your video entry to tell the Governor that budget cuts hurt.  Win an iPad  or $1,000 for your classroom or youth group by following these three easy steps:

1. Make a short video addressed to Governor Cuomo that tells him why your school can't afford any more cuts
2. Upload the video to YouTube
3. Send a link to the YouTube Video to AQEvideocontest@aqeny.org

For the complete "Dear Governor Cuomo" video contest guidelines, click here.

3. Sign up for Education Lobby Day 2011!

Education Lobby Day 2011 is just one week from tomorrow. Free buses from all over New York will travel to Albany on March 9th to stand up for our children. Click HERE to reserve your seat to be part of hundreds in attendance saying  “Yes” to College and Careers and “No” to devastating cuts to education!  

Thank you so much,

Harrison

A New Look at Wednesday's Presentation?

From my take on the flaws pointed out at Wednesday's meeting. It seems that this is what we have to work with (put on your reading glasses the type is small in places)

CRREO and School of Education cosponsors “Financing Education through Income Taxes” forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                          March 2, 2011    
Contact:   Suzanne Grady
                  845-257-3245

CRREO and School of Education cosponsors

“Financing Education through Income Taxes” forum

NEW PALTZ- The Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO), in collaboration with the SUNY New Paltz School of Education and the New Paltz Central School District Board Legislative Action Committee, is sponsoring a forum on “Financing Education through Income Taxes?” with Assemblyman Kevin Cahill 101st A.D. (Kingston), on Thursday, March 24^th in the New Paltz Central School District high school auditorium from 7– 9 p.m.

The Equity in Education Act ( A.447) proposes the elimination of real property taxes for the purposes of funding education. “By doing away with the school real property tax and changing to a more progressive statewide income tax, we will be able to fund our schools equitably, fairly and more affordably for all New Yorkers,” said Assemblyman Cahill.

Gerald Benjamin notes, “There are pros and cons to shifting the tax burden of funding education from the local real property tax to a statewide income tax. This forum will include the perspectives of experts who have studied the issue of school funding and have come to varying conclusions about the efficacy of the Equity in Education Act’s model.”

The panel includes: Frank Mauro - Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute; Martin Reid - Deputy Director of Government Relations, NYS School Boards Association; and Gerald Benjamin - CRREO Director and Associate Vice President for Regional Engagement at SUNY New Paltz.

The New Paltz high school is located at 130 South Putt Corners Road. Babysitting will be provided on site in Room 174 by the Duzine-Lenape PTA.  For more information, please email tobinflk@newpaltz.edu or call (845) 257-2901.

CRREO was established in 2007 to further engage the university and its people with communities, governments, not-for-profits and businesses across our region. CRREO conducts and publicizes research on regional topics; creates and directs select institutes focusing on specific topics of regional interest; connects and partners with local governments, not-for-profits and businesses to initiate reforms and advocate for best practices; contracts to assess the performance of public and not-for-profit agencies and programs; and works to foster intergovernmental collaboration and community engagement.


The School of Education at SUNY New Paltz offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programs that lead to teacher certification, a Certificate of Advanced Study in education administration and a collaborative doctorate in school leadership and policy development with SUNY Albany. The School of Education is the home of several major grants and has established clinical partnerships with many school districts and BOCES in our region.  It also maintains a collaborative program in Teaching English as a Second Language with Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.


The New Paltz Central School District Board Legislative Action Committee is designed to: inform, educate and advise the Board of Education and community concerning legislative issues and matters affecting public education; provide the community with a practical way to get involved in legislative issues relating to the school district; advocate for the school district on the federal, state, and local levels; review and monitor legislation to determine its impact on the school district; build positive relationships with legislators for the school district; make known the school district’s needs to our elected officials; enlist community support for legislative issues that affect our schools; and inform and make recommendations to the Board of Education accordingly.

Last Night's Meeting & Now What

Last night's meeting was pretty much as predicted:

• They showed transportation data, the flaws were pointed out and it was determined it was currently not useful without revisions to be done for Monday.
• They showed a cost-savings analysis for closing a school, the flaws were pointed out and it was determined it was currently not useful without revisions to be done for Monday.
• They showed a count of available classrooms with an idea of how many kids would be in each classroom given different enrollments, the flaws were pointed out and it was determined it was currently not useful without revisions to be done for Monday.

Now the advisory board must somehow get all of the revised and absolutely correct data by Monday in order to come up with their "empirically driven" assessment of the pros and cons for either RES or MES to close for the BOE to decide on (by Tuesday???- who knows).

This is crazy as we are yet to see data that has been fact checked, that has not been sent back due to often hugely erroneous errors. It is hard to image that the advisory committee could feel comfortable saying much of anything on Monday but we will see. They are most certainly doing their best working through this process.

Here is a hint Rosario - FACT CHECK before giving the new data, before making it public. I would like to believe you are not intentionally creating barriers to this process but I find it amazing that you keep publicizing poorly formulated information.

Now what?
If a building closes it will not be rented or sold - it will sit and rot. PICTURE THAT
Houses near this building will lose value - PICTURE THAT
If we close a school we will have 100 to 120 more kids filling the two remaining, leading to increased problems in building wear and tear, safety, special programs - PICTURE THAT
If we close a building, it appears we will not save more than $250,000, likely closer to $200,000 - about the cost of one administrator (including fringe). If the economy recovers and we need to hire back the administrator, we could - but it would be hugely problematic to move back onto a school - PICTURE THAT

Got the picture? Let the BOE know that closing a school would be a poor decision that we simply can't accept.