School District Losing $383,000 In State Aid

The Pelham School District would lose a projected $383,000 in state aid for the current year, if Governor Paterson’s two year plan to close a $5 billion budget gap is approved by the State Legislature. As an alternative to raising taxes, the Governor also is seeking pension reform and a State spending cap.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lauro said the reduction in state aid would mean an 8.5% reduction in aid the District was to receive this year. He noted Westchester districts on average will be losing between 9 and 10%.

“I will come back to you when final decisions are made,” he told the Board of Education at its meeting on Oct.19. “We are not freezing the budget at this point but we will be prepared if it goes through.”

Siwanoy Oil Cleanup Completed

At the same meeting, School Board Vice President Robert Eicher reported that the cleanup of the oil spill on Siwanoy School grounds is complete. He noted that the source of the oil has not been identified but is said to be two years old.

In an update on bond construction projects, he said the district has received bids on the High School masonry project although contracts had not been awarded to date. The bids included 20 different options and Savin, the construction manager firm, is determining the best way to package the work. Mr. Eicher said the bids were favorable, and it was anticipated that the priority work for masonry restoration would all be completed as planned.

Colonial Project

A delay in submitting a permit by one of the contractors for asbestos abatement at Colonial School pushed back the timetable on demolition work. That job is now scheduled for the next two Saturdays— Oct. 31 and Nov. 7.

Mr. Eicher also reported that mechanical, electrical and plumbing projects were approved for Siwanoy, Hutchinson and Prospect Hill. Plans for the location of the storage facility at Glover Field are under review.

School Board Policies

Dr. Martha Arden, School Board member and chair of the Policy Committee, presented draft revisions or new drafts of more than 20 School District policies. The committee intends to complete the review of all District policies by this year.

“Setting policy is why we are here,” said Dr. Arden, referring to the Board’s responsibility to set policies governing all aspects of school operations. The Board is working with the Erie Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and district staff to ensure that the policies are in accordance with all state regulations. The first set of policies relate to special education services, and Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services Rosemary Matthews worked with Dr. Arden on the review of these policies.

Three public readings of the policies will be required before the Board votes on adopting them. The first reading was at the Oct. 5 meeting.

Committee on Community Engagement

Board member Doug Hearle told members that his committee on Community Engagement also met. The committee is seeking ways to increase transparency, spontaneity and relevant discussions on presentations at Board meetings. Mr. Cavanagh, also a committee member, said that the Board was also considering more student presentations, including a monthly high school update. As part of this discussion they asked the Board members about their views on the setup, format and location of Board meetings as well as the approach of the Board to voting on business matters.

At an earlier meeting, the Board also accepted the independent audit report for the fiscal year ending in 2009 submitted by Bennett, Kielson, Storch, DeSantis.

This is part of the October 30, 2009 online edition of The Pelham Weekly.

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