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BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESIDENTS' MESSAGES |
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May 2013
Dear District Residents:
2013-2014 Budget
On May 14, the district will hold the Public Budget Hearing at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria of Durgee Junior High School. Superintendent Jeanne Dangle will provide a breakdown of the budget in three components – program, capital, and administrative. The purpose of this meeting is to provide community residents with further clarification on the budget and its components.
The proposed budget is $94,992,417. The proposed tax levy increase is 2.9 percent. After receiving community feedback through budget advisory committees, phone calls, emails, and at board meetings, the Board of Education and district administrators developed a budget that reflects what the community has told us is necessary for a quality education in Baldwinsville and balances students’ needs with the community’s ability to support those needs.
District residents will soon receive a newsletter that details the proposed 2013-2014 budget. You can also access it online here. You can find all of the district’s 2013-2014 budget information on the budget page of the website.
The budget vote will be held on May 21 from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Baker High School. If you are unable to make it to the polls that day, but would like an absentee ballot, please call the district business office at 638-6055, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
After voting, residents will have the opportunity to participate in an anonymous budget exit survey. The survey will provide the district with useful community feedback about the budget and the school district to aid in the development of the 2014-2015 budget. Before you leave the polls, please look for the short survey to share your opinions with the district.
End of Year Events and Activities
The school year is winding down, but the calendar is still packed with events and activities in every building, as well as spring athletic events. Schools are holding their last concerts of the year and hosting art shows to showcase how our students have stretched their imaginations and strengthened their skills this year, under the guidance of their talented and dedicated teachers. Please check the district’s online calendar of events for specific dates and times. You can check out the spring sports’ schedules here.
Band Honor
In April, representatives from Macy’s surprised our music students, announcing that the district’s marching band has been selected as one of only ten bands for the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is a great honor for our students, marching band staff, music program and the district! The band will represent New York State in the parade, and I am certain our students and Band Director Casey Vanderstouw will show the parade’s millions of viewers that Baldwinsville is a class act, worthy of the national spotlight.
You don’t have to wait until the 2014 Thanksgiving Day parade to see for yourself why Macy’s chose the band. The band will be marching in the Baldwinsville Memorial Day Parade, scheduled for May 30.
I would like to wish everyone a warm and sunny month of May!
On behalf of the Board of Education,
Burrill Wells, President
President's Message
March/April 2013
Dear District Residents:
On May 21, district residents will go to the polls to vote on the 2013-2014 budget. The Board of Education and district administrators have spent several months pouring over figures and examining areas for cost reductions, answering residents’ questions and concerns, and taking community members’ input to develop a budget that preserves our programs while respecting the community’s ability to support public education.This year the district established budget advisory committees for transportation, instruction and technology, special education, facilities, and athletics to provide community members with an opportunity to work with administrators in shaping the budget. Residents serving on these committees reviewed the financial figures we are working with and provided valuable perspectives on how the community wants its tax dollars spent to educate its children. On behalf of the Board of Education, thank you to everyone who served on a committee. Your time and input has been crucial in the budget development process.
The committee process has made the entire budget development process more accessible and transparent to the community. The Board of Education and district administrators believe it is especially important to provide community members with more opportunities to voice their opinions on district spending, particularly as the local portion of education costs continues to increase.
For several years, the state’s contribution to the cost of educating our students has been decreasing, leaving local taxpayers with a larger percentage of the budget to finance. The district has responded to the financial challenges taxpayers are facing by reducing costs across the budget over the last several years to keep the tax levy low. Cost reductions have included those related to increased efficiencies in district operations and the elimination of positions (many due to attrition) without affecting instruction.
The result of these reductions and increased efficiencies has been a stable budget. The district’s budgets and tax levy increases for the last five years have been as follows:
• 2008-2009 = $92,716,906 Tax levy increase: 4.07%
• 2009-2010 = $93,669,512 Tax levy increase: 0%
• 2010-2011 = $93,669,512 Tax levy increase: 2.23%
• 2011-2012 = $92,679,249 Tax levy increase: 1.8%
• 2012-2013 = $92,416,182 Tax levy increase: 0.65%
As you will note, the budget has actually decreased slightly since 2008-2009, despite decreases in district revenue and rising costs in areas over which the district has limited or no control, including health insurance, fuel, and the retirement system. A stable budget has been achievable due to the district's attention to its fiscal responsibility to Baldwinsville taxpayers.
In October, Business First, a Buffalo-based business journal, recognized the district’s efficiency. The publication ranked Baldwinsville as the number one school district for efficiency in Onondaga County and number twenty out 430 Upstate school districts. Rankings were determined based on a district’s spending per pupil, ratio of pupils per administrative staffer, and share of a district’s budget devoted to debt service. Baldwinsville’s high rankings are an indication of the district’s prudent long-range budget planning.
We are finalizing the budget now, and the Board of Education is scheduled to adopt a budget proposal for 2013-2014 at its April 8 meeting. This budget will reflect what the community believes is necessary for a quality education, based on residents’ input and feedback on advisory committees, at Board of Education meetings, and in phone calls and emails to board members and district administrators.
Mark your calendars for the public budget hearing, scheduled for May 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Durgee Junior High cafeteria, and the budget vote, which we will hold May 21 from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Baker High School auditorium.
You can find all budget-related information on the budget page of the district website.
On behalf of the Board of Education,
Burrill Wells, President
President's Message
January/February 2013
Dear District Residents:
I want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the ways we have been working toward two goals in our district’s long-range plan. These goals include creating a safe and healthy learning environment and maintaining a financially stable district. You can find the district’s entire long-range plan here.
Safety
The district conducts periodic drills to practice safety measures with students and staff, and the district regularly reviews its safety policies and procedures and updates them when necessary.
Visitors to our schools must enter through a single point of entry that is locked and monitored by a security camera or an employee. They then must report to the main office and present a driver’s license, which staff members use to screen visitors through the Raptor System. This system checks for sex offender status as well as any other potential threat to student safety, such as a restraining order.
To ensure effective communication during an emergency, all of the district’s buildings are equipped with radio communication systems.
In addition, the district has two school resource officers on staff, one located at Baker High School and one at Durgee Junior High School. Officer Martin Knaul, a member of the Village of Baldwinsville Police Department, is based at the high school and is available to respond to calls at the other schools located within the village - Durgee Junior High School, Elden Elementary School, and Van Buren Elementary School. Michael Nord, a deputy with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, is based at Durgee Junior High School. He responds to calls at the junior high as well as at McNamara Elementary School, Palmer Elementary School, Reynolds Elementary School, and Ray Middle School. He is also available to respond to calls at all of the schools located within the village if he is needed to assist Officer Knaul.
District Finances
In October, the Board of Education created a new reserve for workers’ compensation to enable the district to pay for this expense from a designated savings account rather than asking the taxpayers to approve the expense with each budget. The board recognized the necessity of establishing this reserve due to the unpredictability of increases in workers’ compensation costs from year to year. For example, from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012 the district had a 35% increase in workers’ compensation costs.
At its January 7, 2013 meeting, the board passed a resolution to send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an energy performance project. The district will hire an energy contractor to conduct an energy audit to discover changes we can make to be more efficient, which will decrease our costs and make Baldwinsville a greener district.
This project will build upon energy saving initiatives that have been ongoing. For example, the district’s efforts to be a good steward of the environment have been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2010, the EPA named the district a 2010 EPA ENERGY STAR Leader for improving its energy efficiency across the district. Buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR designation limit greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government.
Also, the district has replaced exterior lighting at the district office, the bus garage and bus shelter, the stadium area/buildings, and at Elden Elementary School with LED lighting to reduce energy and maintenance costs.
Further, the district continues to make strides in reducing transportation costs while increasing efficiency. This school year the district eliminated late bus runs on Mondays and Fridays, and the number of buses used for late runs was reduced from ten to eight. In other cost-cutting measures, the district created more group stops for Baker and Durgee students and began enforcing the 15-mile rule for transporting students who attend a private or parochial school. Students who attend private or parochial schools that are more than 15 miles from their homes are transported to their respective schools from a central pick-up point in the district. In the evenings, the district drops these students off at a central point.
The Board of Education will continue to explore ways to contain and reduce costs as it develops the 2013-2014 budget. At regular board meetings until April 8, administrators will present a different budget component at each meeting. Please consult the calendar for the meeting dates and the budget components scheduled for discussion. I encourage you to attend these meetings and ask questions and provide your input during the public comment portion of each budget discussion.
On behalf of the Board of Education,
Burrill Wells, President
President's Message
Happy holidays to everyone!
During this busy time of year, I hope you have time to attend a free district concert. Our chorus, band and orchestra students have been preparing for their concerts since school began. Our music teachers do an amazing job fostering the talents of Baldwinsville students and preparing them to perform in public with poise and confidence. For a schedule of concerts in December, please click here. Come out and hear why Baldwinsville has been named a Best Community for Music Education designee for three consecutive years – 2010, 2011, and 2012.
If you’re looking for a good laugh, you’ll like Baker High School’s production of A Company of Wayward Saints. The school’s drama club will present the comedy on December 13 & 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. For ticket information, click here.
Student Achievement
Our students continue to strive for excellence, as demonstrated by some of their latest achievements:
• On January 19, fourteen of the district’s best spellers will participate in the Post Standard/WCNY Spelling Bee written test, which will determine the finalists for the Post Standard/WCNY Oral Spelling Bee. These fourteen students are the top finalists from the district’s spelling bee, held in November.
• Running back Tyler Rouse has been named the 2012-2013 Gatorade New York Football Player of the Year.This tremendous honor signifies that he is the best football player in New York.
• Forty-five Baker High School students have been selected to perform in the All-County Music Festival, to be held January 12 at Nottingham High School.
• Nineteen Baker High School students have been selected to perform in the Senior High School Area All-State Music Festival in Ithaca in February.
• Senior Ryan Tighe has been selected to perform with the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band at the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, January 5, 2013 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. This prestigious ensemble only selects 125 students from thousands of applications each year. The game is scheduled to be televised live on NBC at 12:00 p.m.
2013-2014 Budget Development
District administrators, with input from community advisory committees, are in the process of developing their budgets, which they will begin presenting to the Board of Education at the board’s January 7 meeting. This year we are still facing the same financial challenges we have seen during the past several years – decreasing revenues, increases in health care costs and retirement contributions, and, most likely, flat state aid.
I encourage you to attend board meetings to see how the budget is developed as well as to provide your input. At each meeting residents have the opportunity to comment and ask questions on the budget component being discussed at that evening’s meeting. Here is the schedule of meetings and budget components.
District Communications
The district has a variety of methods to keep community members up to date on all the latest budget news and district news. In addition to this website, the district communicates with community members on a regular basis, all year round, through the following methods:
• The Beecon - You can view the latest edition of the district newsletter online by clicking here.
• BEE Informed E-mail News Service - The district has an opt-in e-mail service, BEE Informed, which enables members of the school district community to receive e-mails with the latest district news and information. The service is free and available to anyone with a valid e-mail address. To sign up, click here.
• Like Us on Facebook - Look for the district’s page and “Like” us. The district posts news periodically on its wall to keep community members updated on student and staff achievements, district events, and other information.
• Follow the district on Twitter @BCSDBEES.
On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. I hope the season fills you with joy and peace and I wish you all the best in the new year.
Sincerely,
Burrill Wells, President
November 2012
As we begin our third month of the school year, it is a good time to review achievement in the district. There are many successes to report this fall, and here are some of the most notable to date:
Academics - UpstateThe Baldwinsville Central School District has been ranked number 42 in overall academics out of 430 school districts in Upstate New York, according to a new Business First study. In October the Buffalo-based business publication issued the rankings based on its analysis of four years of data from the New York State Education Department.
Academics - Syracuse Region
The publication also broke the academic rankings down into eight regions. In the Syracuse region, Baldwinsville rated number nine out of 53 school districts.
Efficiency - Upstate
Business First also ranked Baldwinsville number one for efficiency compared to allother Onondaga County school districts, and number twenty compared to all 430 Upstate school districts.
Music Achievements
The Baldwinsville Marching Band placed first in the Large School 2 Class at the NYS Field Band Conference Championship Show at the Carrier Dome on October 28 for its creative and rousing performance entitled Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!
Eight Baker High School students have been selected to attend the prestigious 2012 NYSSMA All-State Music Conference, scheduled for November 29 to December 2 in Rochester, NY. Students were selected based on a rigorous audition process conducted across the state in the spring.
Eleven Durgee Junior High School students were selected to perform in the NYSSMA Junior High School Area All-State Music Festival, held November 2 and 3 in Ithaca.
Athletic Achievements
Running back Tyler Rouse is featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” in its November 5 issue. Tyler was also named YNN’s 2012 First and Ten Player of the Year.
Amari Pollard and Natalie Kot are the Section III Class AA Doubles Champions in girlstennis.
As I write this message, many of our teams and athletes are still finishing the fall athletic season in sectional and state competitions, including girls tennis, girls and boys volleyball, girls swimming, girls and boys cross country, and varsity football. Good luck to all of our athletes!
Staff Achievements
Margaret Jock, a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Ray Middle School, has been named the 2012 New York State Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Educators Teacher of the Year.
Doug Rowe, coach of the Baldwinsville girls varsity lacrosse team, was inducted into The Upstate New York Chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame on October 21. Doug is a physical education teacher at Ray Middle School and has coached the girls lacrosse team for 22 years.
Tony Cardamone is among 60 outstanding elementary and middle school principals from across the nation who were named 2012 National Distinguished Principals by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Tony was principal of Harry E. Elden Elementary School for seven years and is serving as a principal on special assignment for the district this school year.
The highlights and successes illustrated here all demonstrate the dedication, drive, hard work and collaboration of students, staff, parents and community members. I would like to wish you all a joyful November and a Happy Thanksgiving season.
On behalf of the Board of Education,
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September/October 2012
The 2012-2013 school year is off to a great start! Thank you to all of our students, staff members, and parents for a successful beginning to the school year.
The board has established goals for 2012-2013. You can view them here. These goals will guide the board, as well as administrators and staff members in making decisions that affect our students’ education, district finances, and district assets.
The best way to keep up to date with the board’s activities and decisions is to attend Board of Education meetings, which are open to the public. They are typically held on the first and third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria of Durgee Junior High School. A calendar of this year’s meeting dates is available here . Community members can access Board documents for each meeting on the website, as well as review the minutes of previous meetings. Time is allotted in the agenda of each meeting for requests to speak to the Board.
Budget News
The district is beginning the budget development process for 2013-2014. The district is looking for community members and staff members to serve on budget advisory committees that will meet in November and December to review specific areas of the budget and to provide input on the budget components prior to the components being presented to the Board of Education for review.
The following budget component committees have been established:
• Transportation
• Athletics
• Special Education
• Facilities
• Instructional/Technology
If you are a community member interested in serving on any of the above budget advisory committees, please contact Kelly Cary, School Information Officer, at kcary@bville.org or 638-6180 with your name, email address, a phone number, and the committee(s) on which you are interested in serving. If you are a staff member, or a staff member who is also a community member, please contact your association president to express your interest in serving on a committee. Volunteers will be contacted when the committee meeting dates have been established.
On behalf of the Board of Education,
Burrill Wells, President
July/August 2012
New Committee Formed to Explore Closing a School
As you know, last school year the district was exploring the possibility of closing a school in order to balance the budget. The Board of Education determined in February that it did not have enough information to make a sound decision but acknowledged that closing a building was feasible. I want to stress that the board has made no decision on whether or not to close a school.
This June, Superintendent Dangle formed the district’s Building Utilization Committee to further explore the possibility of closing a school. The committee is made up of several board members as well as representatives from the district’s various associations and representatives from each school PTA. The committee met for the first time on June 20 and will meet again in August (date to be determined).
This new committee is proceeding under the assumption that a school will close in order to discuss how that transition would occur with the least impact to students, parents, and the community. The committee will be examining data, including enrollment trends, building capacities, and different scenarios for redistricting students, should a school close. The committee will provide the board with input on which school, if any, the district should close and how to make the transition for students, staff and community while being fiscally responsible to taxpayers.
I know parents and community members have many questions and want to be kept updated on the committee’s work. This website has a page with links to the data that the committee is reviewing as well as the minutes of the committee meetings. You can access this information by clicking here.
A subcommittee comprised of board members Joan Reeves, Jim Goulet, Steven Schweitzer, and Jeff Marier will be meeting in July with a consultant to review maps of possible redistricting scenarios created by a geographical information system (GIS). The subcommittee will be looking at scenarios that will affect the least number of students, and it will provide these maps to the entire committee at its next meeting. The subcommittee will also be keeping the entire board up to date on the committee’s work.
District Achievements
The 2011-2012 school year was a great one for our students and staff members! We have listed the most outstanding achievements from the school year in a Points of Pride document, which you can view online by clicking here . This publication lists academic, artistic and athletic achievements. These accomplishments were made possible due to the support of the entire school district community.
I hope everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable summer.
On behalf of the Board of Education,
Burrill Wells, President
June 2012
Congratulations to the Class of 2012!
On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2012! At the end of this month our students will receive their diplomas and begin a new phase of their lives. They will pursue college, career, technical training, and some will be entering the military. If you are a member of the Class of 2012, whatever your plans are, please do not forget that the Baldwinsville community will always be your home. I have had the privilege to attend many events and activities in our schools, and I am always proud of our students’ dedication to academics, to the arts, to extracurricular activities, and to community service. I am proud to say that I am a graduate of the Baldwinsville Central School District, as I hope you will be on your graduation day.
NYS Report Card
I hope you have a chance to review the New York State Report Card data presented in the
district’s June newsletter. You can read all the results online here. As you will note from the data, our students are doing well in all areas. A majority of Baldwinsville’s students continue to perform well on the state assessments. Our students always rise to the challenge to demonstrate their mastery of the curriculum. Thank you to our staff members for their dedication to providing Baldwinsville’s students with the tools they need for success.
Board’s Work Continues in the Summer
The Board of Education does not take a break in the summer. We are currently developing our calendar for the 2012-2013 school year, which includes dates for our summer meetings. Please check the district website for the new schedule, which we expect to have posted by the middle of July. The board’s last regular meeting of this school year is scheduled for June 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Durgee Junior High cafeteria.
Student and Staff Achievement
In July, the district will be posting its 2011-2012 Points of Pride document on this website. This annual publication summarizes our students’ and staff members’ most notable achievements this school year. Every day, Baldwinsville’s students and staff are making progress and experiencing success in academics, the arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, and in service to the community. Though not always publicized, these daily achievements are no less important than those that will be highlighted in the Points of Pride.
On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to congratulate all students and all staff members for another successful school year. I would also like to thank the community for supporting the district’s mission to ensure that all students receive a quality education. Our students’ successes would not be possible without you.
I wish everyone a relaxing and healthy summer!
On behalf of the Board of Education,
Burrill Wells
President
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March 2012
Dear District Residents:
This month, I am using this message to provide answers to questions Board of Education members and I have been receiving from community members as we continue to develop the 2012-2013 budget.
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Q: Where does a school district get the money it needs to meet its expenses?
A: Just as a household pays its expenses with its income, usually in the form of take-home pay and money made on investments, a school district’s income comes primarily from local taxes and state aid. A school district’s income is called revenue. The chart below compares typical household income to school district revenue.
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Household Income
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School District Revenues
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Take-home pay, Social Security, pension
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State aid and local property taxes
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Interest income from savings accounts/bonds
Investments - annuities, insurance policies, CDs,401ks, 403bs, etc.
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Miscellaneous - payment in lieu of tax (PILOT) agreements, Medicaid reimbursements, shared sales tax, grants, interest income
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Q: Are district reserves similar to household savings accounts?
A: Yes, they are similar because both maintain money to use for future expenses, which is sound financial planning, particularly when the economy is weak. For example, last year the district used $2.5 million from its reserves to pay a settlement with Anheuser-Busch. Without this money in reserves, the district would have had to take money from its regular budget, leaving other areas of the budget short of funds for expenses. Also, the district could have borrowed the money, but would have had to pay it back with interest. The chart below compares household savings accounts to school district reserves.
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Household
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School District
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Savings accounts – money set aside for the future for expenses we know are coming and/or for unanticipated events
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Reserves– money set aside for the future for expenses we know are coming and/or for unanticipated events.
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Q: What types of reserves does the district maintain?
A: The district maintains the following reserves:
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Reserves
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Current Amount 6/30/11
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2012-2013
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Availability to
Board of Education
(BOE)
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Unemployment
Insurance
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$827,116
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Unknown until close of fiscal year, 6/30/12
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Available to BOE
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Retirement Contribution
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$7,053,896
(Employee Retirement System Only)
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Unknown until close of fiscal year, 6/30/12
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Available to BOE
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Tax Certiorari
(Tax disputes)
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$2,520,754
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Unknown until close of fiscal year, 6/30/12
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Available upon settlement
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Capital
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$2,238,709
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Capital Project - use only w/voter approval
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Not available to BOE
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Liability
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$2,810,994
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Lawsuits we are not insured for
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Available to BOE
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Employee Benefit Accrued Liability
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$4,804,186
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Employee sick time
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May be available to BOE
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Total Available to BOE
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Board of Education Presidents' Messages