With the Katonah-Lewisboro school budget adoption by the Board of Education in less than three weeks, parents are raising new questions about the budget and offering additional recommended revisions to the superintendent's proposed budget. 

Drop FLES?

Rising to the top of the pile of suggested changes (which includes some that may make a big difference, such as changing the district's health insurance program, and some that won't, like requiring seniors to pay for parking) is the recommendation to drop the Foreign Language in Elementary School program.

Though one or two parents cited the elementary foreign language program's importance in a global economy, when LES parent Mary Ellen Betzler suggested eliminating it at a recent community forum on the budget, many in the crowd of about 150 loudly applauded. 

"It's a great program, but it's not the right climate to continue," said Betzler, who is a 35-year educator and current administrator at Southern Westchester BOCES. 

Though FLES is expanding to the third grade next year, instruction time will be cut to to avoid the need for another teacher. Several parents (and one big brother of a second-grade Spanish student) questioned the benefits of the diluted approach. Over the next two years, the program is set to encompass fourth and fifth grade and will need financial shoring up—an additional $138,000 in salary and benefits. 

Class Size Issues

Class size dominated the discussion, as it had at the BOE's last two public forums. 

Elementary classes are projected to be similar to current levels, with fourth grade and fifth grade sections seeing the biggest increase, to 25 or 26 students. A large contingent of KES parents attended the meeting to protest a significant jump for their incoming first graders—from 18 to 24 students. 

Lynn Siegl referenced the district's 2007 Class Size Task Force report, which recommended a range of 15-20 students per elementary class. "You're taking them from kindergarten, where they've been one of 18 kids with a teacher and assistant, and three months later, they're making a huge transition to full-day but have more children and no assistant. This is a terrible trend that will last their whole academic career," she said. 

LES parent Sean Cunningham echoed her concerns. "My daughter's 4th grade class won't have enough space for 26 chairs," he said. "And we pay $30,000 in taxes for that."

New Recommendations

Betzler suggested outsourcing payroll as a cost-saving measure, and cited the $2 million insurance cost reduction her district realized by moving from a a self-insured program to state-insured program.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Michael Jumper said the district was looking into changing their third-party administrator which could potentially lower the cost of expensive medical procedures, but the process would not be completed to affect positive change for this year's budget.

Other suggestions included ceasing the district newletter printing and asking Superintendent Robert Roelle to give up some of his "$300,000 plus" salary and benefits package.

(Gordon responded, on Roelle's behalf, to the salary question and quickly dismissed it, noting that "it's easy to pick on the CEO in troubled times." Roelle's base salary is $265,000 before merit and pay increases; a copy of his contract is available here.)

Gordon also reminded the group that many of their questions about the proposed budget were answered in an FAQ document on the district's Web site.

Teacher response

Many also expressed frustration with the lack of response from the teacher's union during the budget process. While some expressed support—"Why should teachers have to give up their pay to educate our kids," said one LES parent—many wondered why they wouldn't accept the salary freeze.

One resident held up a list of concerns allegedly prepared by K-L teachers, with questions about the quality of educational programs after the proposed cuts. The board had no involvement or knowledge of the list but said they'd take a look.

LES parent Traci Silva cautioned against villifying the rejection of the salary freeze, noting that no one had the facts about why it wasn't accepted. "I heard there wasn't a guarantee of the number of positions they'd save, or that the freeze would be for only one year, " she said. 

Residents have three more chances to voice their concerns about the budget.

A March 9 meeting on the development of athletic fields will include a budget discussion; additional budget works sessions will be held March 11 and March 18.  The budget adoption is scheduled to take place March 25.

All meetings take place at 7:30 in the John Jay High School library.