Historically, very few district residents have shown up at board meetings and other district forums. So when more than 40 people attended the community forum at Miller Avenue School Tuesday, district officials admit they were pleasantly surprised.
"This is the largest turnout I've seen for anything we've done, so I'm very happy," school board president Scott Ericson said afterward. "Certainly in this district, it takes something significant to get people's attention."
That something is the prognosis for New York State's current budget, something superintendent Harriet Copel called dire. Next week, Gov. David Paterson will release his initial budget plan for the year. Dr. Copel told the assembled group she expects there to be a lot less money available for state aid. As the school district heads into budget season, the task of replacing that lost money will be an immense challenge, she said.
Making the concerns of putting a budget together even greater is the fact that the district's proposed budgets have been voted down nine of the past 20 years. Should that happen again in May, Dr. Copel said, the district would be operating on a contingency budget with no increase in expenditures across the board.
To do that while accounting for increased or static amounts in contract obligations, state mandates, building and school operations and other necessities, Dr. Copel said, would require wholesale cuts of close to 5 percent.
So the purpose of Tuesday's forum, and a second one next Thursday, is to ask, in Dr. Copel's words, "In your heart of hearts, what do you want your children to have?"
If a program is cut from this year's budget, she said, it will not return for the foreseeable future. So, she added, "we want to frame the conversation not as what we can't cut, but what we must keep."
Most of the discussion Tuesday centered on whether community members should focus on what kind of cuts should be had or, rather, on an educational campaign to see the budget passed in May.
Former board member Lisa Kelly, one of the facilitators Tuesday night, warned against making significant cuts.
"After we cut all the fat, all that's left is meat and bones," she said. "Then, it's what part of your body do you want to cut off?"
Dr. Copel said the district could cut back far enough to only meet state mandates and requirements but that she believes the district's students deserve a more robust educational experience.
Dr. Copel and Mr. Ericson urged participants to attend the district's budget sessions as well.
"I hope it's the beginning of people getting engaged," Mr. Ericson said.
The district will host another community forum at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Wading River Elementary School.
jwilliams@northshoresun.com