Rosario announced that he recommended taking the closing of an elementary school off of the table for this year to allow more time to explore school consolidations that include the entire district.
The BOE agreed.
One Battle Won.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Budget Meeting Tonight
Tonight in the High School Gym:
VI. AGENDA ITEMS - SUPERINTENDENT
1. School Consolidation
2. Budget Discussion
- Technology Discussion.
- Athletic Discussion.
- Custodial & Maintenance Overtime Discussion.
- Update on Budget.
V. Public Comment
VI. AGENDA ITEMS - SUPERINTENDENT
1. School Consolidation
2. Budget Discussion
- Technology Discussion.
- Athletic Discussion.
- Custodial & Maintenance Overtime Discussion.
- Update on Budget.
V. Public Comment
DO Administration Comparison
I requested to see what documentation Rosario provided the BOE to support the claim that Rondout's administration is not different from similar sized districts. Until then, I did my own research with help from many friends and came up with this. What I noticed:
1) Our overall administration is larger by 3-6 people compared with like sized districts.
2) Our structure which makes District Office admin positions a certified administrative position (meaning a six-figure salaries rather than a five-figure salary) shows us exceeding not only like size districts but also larger districts.
(Note: If you notice any errors let me know, it was not easy to pull this information together. Also, the enrollment is not exact; everywhere I looked the numbers were somewhat different)
1) Our overall administration is larger by 3-6 people compared with like sized districts.
2) Our structure which makes District Office admin positions a certified administrative position (meaning a six-figure salaries rather than a five-figure salary) shows us exceeding not only like size districts but also larger districts.
(Note: If you notice any errors let me know, it was not easy to pull this information together. Also, the enrollment is not exact; everywhere I looked the numbers were somewhat different)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Now is a Good Time to Let the BOE Know How You Feel
There is a budget meeting tomorrow. If you can't come to the meeting and feel strongly about something, please take time an send a message to the BOE today or tomorrow. Silence sounds like acceptance. Even if you commented before, please do it again.
http://www.rondout.k12.ny.us/administration/board_of_education/send_a_comment_to_the_board_/
http://www.rondout.k12.ny.us/administration/board_of_education/send_a_comment_to_the_board_/
Sunday, March 27, 2011
True Concessions
Rosario announced at the last meeting that he and his administrative team have agreed to a salary freeze for next year. For some reason, although he said this was a concession his team was making, it was also still under negotiation so I am not sure what that means.
Anyway, while it nice that Rosario is freezing his 175k salary, and I am sure if he did not the Union would never agree to any discussions about teacher benefits and salaries, personally I think that this is not nearly enough.
Len Berg informed the public in December that salary freezes were not the answer since they are just a temporary fix. On this one point I agree with him. What happens next year? Now, if the administration normalized to really match other districts, moving 2-4 administrative positions back down the ladder and make them non-certified administrative jobs, giving more responsibility to those who stay on the top of the administrative ladder and we reduced the administration in the Middle and High School then this year, next year, and the years after we would feel the reduced financial strain due to this administrative design.
Do not stop insisting on consolidations and real concessions from the administration. Those who make 95k and over can not be insulated ever, let alone during these difficult financial times.
Anyway, while it nice that Rosario is freezing his 175k salary, and I am sure if he did not the Union would never agree to any discussions about teacher benefits and salaries, personally I think that this is not nearly enough.
Len Berg informed the public in December that salary freezes were not the answer since they are just a temporary fix. On this one point I agree with him. What happens next year? Now, if the administration normalized to really match other districts, moving 2-4 administrative positions back down the ladder and make them non-certified administrative jobs, giving more responsibility to those who stay on the top of the administrative ladder and we reduced the administration in the Middle and High School then this year, next year, and the years after we would feel the reduced financial strain due to this administrative design.
Do not stop insisting on consolidations and real concessions from the administration. Those who make 95k and over can not be insulated ever, let alone during these difficult financial times.
BOE Budget Meeting March 29th
This is posted on the BOE's page:
Special Board of Education Meeting
"Budget"
High School Gym
March 29, 2011
6:30 P.M.
"Budget"
High School Gym
March 29, 2011
6:30 P.M.
Hopefully the quotes around the word budget means that the BOE plan to talk about the budget issues in detail. Will this be just a presentation or will it be a discussion so that we understand where the board members stand? Come to the meeting to find out.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
How Do We Get the BOE to Respond
It is clear that a large part of the frustration so many community members have with this budget process is due to the perpetual silence on the part of both the BOE and administration regarding issues that have been put in front of them for months.One BOE member, in response to a question about the web forum where people can post their comments pointed out that she had over 600 in her mailbox and that they were working on a way to electronically post responses.
In all honesty who wants to wait for this technology and why should we? The forum for responses are the publicly attended BOE meetings. I do not mean that the BOE or Rosario need to respond to each of our points, comments and questions as they come up in public comment. However, it IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to include their responses to consistently asked questions in their agenda. As examples:
Top Heavy Administration
People have been asking publicly and through the web site for the BOE to take a harder look at administration and ways to consolidate/reduce the budget there. So far, in December, Gail said that the BOE did look at that but provided not further detail and last Tuesday we were only told that Rosario provided evidence that we are no different from the other districts in the County. Besides these responses obfuscating or falsifying the reality of our top-heavy administration, why is it three months after the first public mention (that I am aware of) of this issue has the BOE not presented any of these findings related to this issue in response to the public questioning?
Protection of TA's and Paraprofessionals
There has been numerous public comments about the protection of those in our district who get paid the least but yet are instrumental to the children's educational experience. Is the BOE and the Administration doing all it can to protect as many of these workers as possible? We do not know because they never make mention of this issue publicly.
Line by Line Auditing
Another consistent question is how much of a line by line auditing is the BOE doing. We get a two-faced response where neither face says anything at all. Len Berg says the BOE is doing a zero-based approach (start at nothing and add only needed items) - but there has been no documentation or further discussion of this. On the other side, another BOE member said that this is not their job, that they trust Rosario and his administration to do this. Yet we are shown no evidence that Rosario is working on the budget with this type of detail either.
I do not know how to get the BOE and Rosario to publicly respond, to provide transparency, to address these issue directly and in detail. I do know that until they do, the public will only become angrier and angrier with them.
In all honesty who wants to wait for this technology and why should we? The forum for responses are the publicly attended BOE meetings. I do not mean that the BOE or Rosario need to respond to each of our points, comments and questions as they come up in public comment. However, it IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to include their responses to consistently asked questions in their agenda. As examples:
Top Heavy Administration
People have been asking publicly and through the web site for the BOE to take a harder look at administration and ways to consolidate/reduce the budget there. So far, in December, Gail said that the BOE did look at that but provided not further detail and last Tuesday we were only told that Rosario provided evidence that we are no different from the other districts in the County. Besides these responses obfuscating or falsifying the reality of our top-heavy administration, why is it three months after the first public mention (that I am aware of) of this issue has the BOE not presented any of these findings related to this issue in response to the public questioning?
Protection of TA's and Paraprofessionals
There has been numerous public comments about the protection of those in our district who get paid the least but yet are instrumental to the children's educational experience. Is the BOE and the Administration doing all it can to protect as many of these workers as possible? We do not know because they never make mention of this issue publicly.
Line by Line Auditing
Another consistent question is how much of a line by line auditing is the BOE doing. We get a two-faced response where neither face says anything at all. Len Berg says the BOE is doing a zero-based approach (start at nothing and add only needed items) - but there has been no documentation or further discussion of this. On the other side, another BOE member said that this is not their job, that they trust Rosario and his administration to do this. Yet we are shown no evidence that Rosario is working on the budget with this type of detail either.
I do not know how to get the BOE and Rosario to publicly respond, to provide transparency, to address these issue directly and in detail. I do know that until they do, the public will only become angrier and angrier with them.
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