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Board Gets Dire Budget Outlook; Approves Seeking Grant for Merger Study

Thu, Jan 20, 2011

Board Gets Dire Budget Outlook; Approves Seeking Grant for Merger Study

The PowerPoint slide projected on the big screen above and behind the HCS Board of Education at its regular monthly meeting tonight warned of a financial "Perfect Storm" that is threatening the quality of education available to local students.

The details presented by Superintendent Dr. Diana Bowers portrayed not so much a forecast of stormy weather but a financial natural disaster that could strike HCS programs as early as the 2011-2012 budget and devastate it as the Class of 2013 begins its senior year. Bowers said the continued loss of state aid, the expiration of federal stop-gap funding and a likelihood of a property tax cap could leave HCS with a deficit of between $400,000 and $500,000 in the 2011-2012 budget. And, then things would get really bad in 2012-2013.

"We are a year or two away from our children coming to school, taking the the core mandated classes and going home," said Bowers. "I'm not trying to be a prophet of doom. I'm not trying to be anything but realistic."

It was with that forecast in mind that the board approved having Bowers seek a state grant to fund a study of some sort of merger/consolidation with another neighboring district, most likely Morrisville-Eaton. Bowers recapped a presentation made by Alan Pole, a former Norwich BOCES superintendent and now consultant who helps school districts through the merger process.

Bowers said that the study would include numerous citizen committees focusing on a variety of topics. Their findings would be gathered and a report -- with no recommendations of what ought to be done -- shared with the state Education Department. If the results showed a merger made sense, there would be two votes in each school district; the first simply advisory and the second binding. Residents in both districts would have to approved of the merger or nothing would happen.

The likely candidates for such a merger would be HCS and Morrisville-Eaton.

Motioning to the board, Bowers told the modest audience in the school auditorium, "We don't determine a merger. You do."

She said that HCS and other districts would not be considering some sort of combination if the state's fiscal house were not in such disarray; New York faces a $10 billion budget deficit this coming year.

"But," said Bowers. "Many of the things to produce savings without hurting programs have already been done. We have done out of the box thinking for several years. Many of the savings we could realize have been done.

"I would be remiss if I did not recommend (considering a merger)."

Bowers said a $400,000-$500,000 budget deficit would force cuts in staffing and in the educational program of the district.

"We're looking at less of the arts, less sports, less courses that are not mandated by the state," said Bowers. "These are not the answers I want to give you and these are not the answers you want to hear, but we must live within our means.

"Even in the best case scenario this is going to be difficult," she said. "I don't want to cut teachers. I don't want to cut programs, but we may have to."

The likelihood of money-saving shared services were illustrated later in the meeting. Bowers told the board that HCS and Morrisville-Eaton continued to discuss ways the two schools can collaborate on sports programs. In addition, HCS, Morrisville-Eaton, Stockbridge Valley and Madison are going to share the services of a grants specialist.

 

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