Review Of The Somers School Budget: The Good And The Bad

The Somers Central School District proposed budget for 2011-12 is over $80 million, an increase of 1.92% from last year's budget, with a estimated property tax rate increase of 5.6%. With an anticipated enrollment next year of 3482 students, Somers spends $23,098 per student.   Here is our brief analysis of the budget, in time for the candidates debate on May 9 and public hearing on the budget on May 10.  Vote on May 17. 

A web link to the Proposed Budget is here and under Links in the right hand column of this blog.   The Board of Education has also issued a Budget Issue of the Trunkline newsletter as well as 2011/12 Proposed Budget Facts. 

The Good

• Within $150,000 of the contingency budget* permitted under NYS law. [See page 6 of Proposed Budget.] 
• Using reserves of $2 million to reduce tax rate increase. 
• The District spends less per student ($23,098) than the average district in both Westchester ($25,131) and Putnam ($23,658) Counties, according to the 2011-12 School Budget Spotlight report by the Empire Center.

The Bad 

• For taxpayers: Projected property tax rate increase of 5.62%, to $141.54 per $1000.  Last year the increase was nearly 3%. [See page 1 of Proposed Budget.]
• For parents/students: Reduction in staff but enrollment continues to increase, impacting class size and programing. This year’s proposed budget eliminates 15 positions.  Last year saw the elimination of 12 positions. [See page 7 of Proposed Budget.]
• For budget hawks: Teachers receiving salary increases of 4.9% to 6.8%**.  The average teacher salary for regular students is over $97,000 per year*** plus benefits. This is more than the salary of the Somers Town Supervisor in 2010, according to the SeeThroughNY web site. 

Notes

* Contingency budget: If the school budget is defeated on May 17, one option available to the Board of Education is to adopt a contingency budget, without need for voter approval. Under New York State law, a contingency budget caps spending at a level based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), subject to certain rules under state law. 

**  Based on 12 test scenarios across various pay-grades under Supplement A and Supplement B of the Contract between the Faculty Association and the Board of Education 2010-2013 at the Faculty Association's web site.  There are 19 different pay grades based on education. Each year, a teacher's salary increases by a step, within a pay-grade.  For 2011/12, each step increases by 1.75%.  For example, a teacher with a Masters Degree at step 3 received a salary of $65882 in 2010/11.  At step 4 in 2011/12, the salary is $70388, an increase of 6.8%.  
*** The average salary was derived from page 15 of the Proposed Budget.  Total salary (Line 100 = $24,118,466) is divided by the number of teachers, aides & assistants, and monitors(213.7 + 23.1 + 11.61=248.41). If you assume all monitors are paid less than the lowest paid teacher ($50,000), then the average salary of teachers and aides is nearly $100,000 per year.   

LINKS:

http://www.somersschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1492346/File/Proposed%202011-12%20Annual%20School%20Budget.pdf?sessionid=a42f22fe7d02cac8242b900f45e13ea9

http://www.somersschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1492346/File/Announcements/WEB%20Somers%20Budget%202011.pdf

http://www.somersschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1492346/File/Budget%20Facts%202011-2012(3).pdf?sessionid=dfcab77dcebc808b19f0f9b23eeb8d9b

http://www.empirecenter.org/Documents/PDF/EmpireSchoolReport2011-12%20main.pdf

http://www.seethroughny.net/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx