051101Bedford Centrals 'D Day' nears

By FRANK NARDOZZI

Voters will be asked to approve two budget propositions totaling almost $70.4 million and choose between six candidates running for three sea ts on the Bedford Central School Board on Tuesday, May 15.

District residents in Bedford Pound Ridge, Mount Kisco, New Castle and North Castle will be able to vote from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. at polling places in the district's five elementary schools - the Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, Pound Ridge, Mount Kisco and West Patent elementary schools.

Running for the school board are two incumbents, Elin Sullivan of Bedford Hills and Mel Comberiati of Mount Kisco, each seeking their second three-year terms. A third incumbent whose term is up, Nancy Stein, has chosen not to run again.

Ms. Sullivan is being challenged by Joseph Giardina -of Mount Kisco and Dr. Comberiati is opposed by Bonnie Laub of Bedford Corners. Brad Sacks of Bedford Corners is running against Steve Miele of Bedford Hills for the third seat.

Mr. Giardina, Ms. Laub and Mr. Miele have all been endorsed, by the Taxpayers Oversight Committee.

Propositions One and Two

The annual budget proposed in Proposition One is $70,381,156. It represents an increase of $4,551,148 over this year's budget for a budget to-budget increase of 6.91 percent.

Proposition Two is a reallocation of $427,148 in existing capital funds to pay for building repairs and renovations. Some of these funds represent money saved on capital projects that were completed under budget, such as the high school roof, district oil tank replacements and middle school gym renovations.

The balance is money that was earmarked for other projects that were never started because costs had risen or because renovation work would be lost in contemplated school expansions.

A vote in favor of the reallocation of funds in Proposition Two would not result in any increase in taxes, as the money is already on hand.

Tax increases

If the voters approve the annual budget in Proposition One, taxes would increase in four of the .five towns in the school district and decrease in Mount Kisco, the difference caused by differences in the towns' equalization rates, which are based on property values.

Taxes would increase by 7.1 percent in Bedford, 6.63~percent in Pound Ridge, 9-411 percerit1n New Castle and 14.37 percent in North Castle. Taxes would decrease by 3.31 percent in Mount Kisco.

In a presentation to the school board last week, Mark Betz, assistant superintendent of schools for business and administrative services, stated that much of the increase in spending would be used to pay for 17 new teachers that were necessitated, in great measure, by the school district s rising enrollment.

The budget would add the equivalent of almost seven full-time teaching positions to the elementary school staffs, almost six full-time teachers to the middle school staff and a little more than five full-time teachers at the high school.

Enrollment increases

Mr. Betz reported that while enrollment at West Patent Elementary School was expected to decline, enrollment at the other four elementary schools, as well as the high school and middle school, were expected to increase.

Enrollment projections for the 2001-2002 school year in the elementary schools were for:

- A decline in enrollment of six students at West Patent, from 392 to 386, for a decrease of 1.53 percent;

* An increase of six students at Pound Ridge, from 366 to 372, for an increase of 1.64 percent;

0 An increase of I I students at Bedford Hills, from 361 to 372, for an increase of 3.05 percent;

- An increase of 18 students at Mount Kisco, from 505 to 523, for an increase of 3.56 percent; and

- An increase of 16 students at Bedford Village, from 407 to 423, for an increase of 3.93 percent.

Next year's school enrollment for Fox Lane Middle School is projected to increase by 54 students, from 8219 to 883, for an increase of 6.51 percent.

And the enrollment projection for Fox Lane High School is for an increase of 60 students, from 971 to 1,031, for an increase of 6.18 percent.

Overall, the district's enrollment is expected to increase by 159 students, from a total of 3,831 this year to 3,990 students in September, for a total increase of 4.15 percent.

The addition of five teaching positions at the middle school was also necessitated by the addition of a ninth team to complete the reorganization of the school into a graded structure.

The addition of two teachers, 0.4 of a psychologist's position and one instructional assistant was necessary to accommodate the expansion of the Hillside alternative program for students in grades 9 through 12, to reduce costly out-of-district tuition placements, Mr. Betz said.

Other staff changes

Other important staff changes include the addition of a computer database manager to take charge of all of the computer scoring and data storage for the newly required state standardized tests for fourth and eighth graders.

Other budgeted increases were slated to pay for a half-time teacher for the "gifted and talented" program, the addition of a full-time bilingual community outreach worker for the burgeoning Spanish-speaking population and the hiring of two certified occupational therapist assistants for special education students.

Other staff changes were made including the elimination of two school bus drivers. While the number of teachers increased by 17, the classified civil service staff positions were reduced by two, Mr. Betz said.

Budget allocations for hospital and medical insurance for all employees rose from $4.9 million in 1999-2000 to $5.9 million in 2000-2001. A budget allocation of $7 million is earmarked for hospital and medical insurance for next year.

New contracts for the CSEA and school administrators are currently being negotiated with a new teachers' contract due to be negotiated next year.

Capital projects

The budget provides for a total of $750,000 for maintenance and capital projects, including $115,000 that was budgeted for maintenance and repair items associated with enrollment growth and emergencies.

Proposition Two would reallocate another $417,148 from current capital funds and $207,852 would be transferred from the general fund to make up the $750,000 capital projects account.

The funds would be used for such things as heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades; interior/exterior masonry renovations; roof replacements; site work improvements; electrical and plumbing upgrades; asbestos abatement; and flooring reconstruction and replacement.

A state-mandated, survey of all school buildings conducted earlier this year revealed a total of $36 million in building renovations and system upgrades that were needed. These projects were incorporated in the Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee's (CFAC) report submitted in February

The CFAC report identifies a total of $91 million in building renovation

and expansion projects needed to accommodate the district's projected rise in enrollment over the next 10 years. The school board is scheduled to vote on a bond issue to cover some of these costs on June 20, with the bond issue to be put before the voters in October.

The budget also calls for the third three-year lease of new computer technology for all the schools and an upgrade of student census and business applications hardware and software. More money is also allocated to cover rising heating and fuel costs.

District revenue sources

Mr. Betz noted that almost $62 million, or 88 percent of the budget, is derived from property taxes. State and federal aid amounts to only $5.7 million, or 8.12 percent of the total budget.

The next biggest sources of revenue were tuition paid by out-of-district students, $950,000; the county sales tax, $800,000; and interest income, $400,000.

Contingency budget

If the school budget were to be defeated twice by the voters, state law requires that a contingency budget be put in place with a spending increase based on a formula that includes the current rate of inflation, which is currently listed at 3.4 percent.

The school district estimates that a contingency budget would be about $69.1 million or $1.3 million less than the currently proposed budget. This budget would amount to a five percent increase over current spending and would require slightly lower tax increases.