Reader’s Forum
School District Finances Need Reevaluating

– By Bob Zahm –

The new school budget, approved by the voters in May, includes “planned” spending that merits close attention and action. These are all items of which the Board is aware and could be expected to “work” during the new school year.

Approximately $380,000 in 2010-2011 budget items are in excess of actual 2009-10 spending. These items provide a chance to cut spending without affecting students. They do, however, require re-evaluation of long-standing budgeting practices that lead to over budgeting and, thereby, overtaxing. Some may argue that the sums involved are too small to be meaningful. However, $380,000 exceeds all of the property tax to be collected from 14 “average” Rye homeowners in 2010/2011.

There has also been a significant and multi-year increase in special education litigation, rising from $21,500 in 2006 through a forecasted $291,000 in 2009-10. Clearly something has changed for the worse. Because of the involvement of children, I do not expect the Board to address this point in public, but the Board should commit to addressing the issue by assessing the effectiveness of its special education services AND the district’s legal services, the contract for which has just been extended for three years.

I look forward to open discussions with the Board in the new school year on both district finances and the education program. Given continuing economic conditions, Board action is required.