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033100 School board criticized for `lack of vigilance'
Christe presents payroll information
Mount Kisco resident Philip Christe has long objected to salaries paid to Bedford Central School District administrators.
According to W-2 payroll information obtained by Mr. Christe via a Freedom of Information (FOIL) filing, top salaries in the district are paid to schools superintendent Bruce Dennis, who earns $187,513; assistant superintendent David Abbey, whose salary is $125,937; assistant superintendent James Alloy, who earns $122,261; and assistant superintendent Mark Betz, whose salary is $110,873.
In addition, Mr. Christe recently said he objects to the Bedford
Central School Board's failure to open all meeting of its facilities advisory committee to the general public.
"We have a right to see what information is being fed to that committee by the administration," Mr. Christe said. "You don't have to open those committee meetings, but you're not prohibited from doing so, either," he said, referring to a recent ruling by the state's freedom of information officer.
Mr. Christe characterized the board's policies as "keeping communications down and under control" and called them "reprehensible and cowardly"
BY FRANK NARDOZZI
In the wake of revelations that the Bedford Central School District was spending $1.5 million over budget and would seek a budget increase of 12.57 percent for next year, the Bedford Central School Board was accused of lack of vigilance and minimizing public discussion at its meeting on Wednesday, March 22.
In the final minutes of the school board meeting held Wednesday, Feb. 16, Mark Betz, the district's assistant superintendent for business, had reported the overspending. He cited health insurance claims by school district employees that were $580,000 over budget; an additional expenditure of $165,000 for more buses for special education students; the need for additional special education aides, leading to an expenditure $275,000 over bud-get; custodial overtime due to capital projects and school openings, which ran $232,000 over budget; and the district's legal fees, which cost $190,000 more than expected.
As a result of the over budget expenditures, Schools superintendent Bruce Dennis ordered a freeze on all school purchases as of Feb. 15. He also ordered a review of the number of teachers attending all workshops outside of regular school hours.
At the meeting, Mr. Betz stated that the district would also seek to curb the deficit by holding back on the expenditure of $1.2 million in the current bud-get for capital improvements and major maintenance.
"Do you get monthly reports regarding variances in spending?" asked Phil Christe of Mount Kisco at the most recent school board meeting.
"We get budget status reports in our packets at every board meeting," school board member Elfn Sullivan replied.
"Were you aware of how things were going?" Mr. Christe said.
"We were aware that health costs were going up and that the amounts paid out on certiorari settlements were increasing," said board president Paul Alcorn. "There would have been a projected shortfall if we had stayed on the same spending pattern."
"Why was there no public discussion?" Mr. Christe retorted.
"With the controls in place, we believed that the problem would be on track by the end of the year," Mr. Alcorn said.
"It should be okay" Mr. Betz added. "I simply made the board. and the public aware of what we had already discussed on staff."
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"Well, there has been a lot of talk about fiscal responsibility," Mr. Christe said. "I'll believe it when I see it. Do you know what it means to raise taxes by 15 or 20 percent? There are many people in this district who are struggling to make ends meet. I'm very concerned. The public deserves much more vigilance than this."At the earlier meeting, Dr. Dennis presented a proposed budget that would have increased spending by $7,741,398 over this year. If that proposed budget is approved by the school board and voted in by the public in May, the tax rate would have increased by 14.06 percent in Mount Kisco, 14.14 percent in Bedford, 15.38 percent in New Castle, 15.52 percent in Pound Ridge and 26.24 percent in North Castle.
Proposed budget cuts $1.3 million
At the suggestion of school board members, who were less than enthusiastic about the chances of the public approving that increase,. Dr. Dennis came back to the board with $1.3 mil-lion in spending cuts on March 22. Cuts included the elimination of six new bus runs for the middle and high schools, for a savings of $256,500, and the reduction of four van replacements, for a savings of $168,640. Proposed project maintenance funds were cut by $134,000. Salaries for additional retirements were reduced by $118,788. The request for an additional computer teacher was eliminated for a saving of $55,000, and the hiring of a database administrator was postponed for a saving of $60,000.
However, the consensus of school board members was that the spending plan would have to be cut by yet another $800,000 in order to bring the increased spending in 2000-2001 down to eight percent to nine percent.
Mr. Alcorn said that he would like to see the school district's commitment to Fox Lane Middle School maintained in face of rising enrollment. That included dividing the school into three houses, if warranted, and increasing the number '
of teaching teams from seven to eight.
He also stated that he would like to see no reduction in the number of Advanced Placement English and bistory courses taught at Fox Lane High School, and that present elementary school class sizes be maintained.
Board member Mark Slivka suggested that the school board look for revenue for course enrichment from the local business community, as other communities have done. He said that school district revenues could be augmented by between $200,000 to $250,000 a year . with a local business association.
Mr. Alcorn said additional cuts may be in the budget's future, including after-school clubs and some sports activities — among them Fox Lane High School's newly-organized ice hockey team.
The board discussed postponing the expense of $25,000 for finishing wiring all schools for Internet connection. Mr. Betz suggested going ahead with the expense, stating that with the job currently half done, it would be money well spent.
Mrs. Sullivan said that another $200,000 could be cut from the district's transportation budget. Board member Dot Fallon added that parents may have to be willing to let their children sit on school buses a little longer.
Mrs. Sullivan also suggested eliminating one kindergarten class at Bedford Village Elementary School, adding that she would be willing to see the number of teaching teams at the middle school kept at the current number of seven and the number of class sections for the gifted and talented kept at one.
She was joined by Mr. Slivka in proposing that printing and mailing the annual Bedford Central School District report be eliminated for a savings of $30,000. Mr. Betz also 'suggested that the board eliminate the cost of printing 350 school board agendas before every meeting, and post the agenda on the Internet instead.
During public comment time, local resident Mike Carbone stated that he knew where Bedford Central could save over $200,000 right away. "Just cut the salaries of all the top administrators," he said.