Declining aid, rising costs force personnel cuts

       Faced with a projected $500,000 decline in state aid, rising costs in other areas, and a school budget situation unlikely to improve much in the coming years, Fort Plain Board of Education has had to make some difficult decisions in forming the 2010-11 budget, including the elimination of 15 positions.

     The positions to be eliminated are: one clerical, one aide, one bus driver, five teaching assistants, two elementary teachers, one remedial reading teacher, one English teacher, one physical education teacher, one school psychologist, and one guidance counselor.
These cuts will save the district about $385,000 in salaries excluding the cost of benefits.

      “We’re in the people business. That means if we are to cut costs by a substantial amount, we can not avoid cutting positions. There is no question that the elimination of positions will have a negative impact on the education of our students. The personnel reductions and other changes will force our staff to look at doing our jobs differently in the future,” Superintendent of Schools Douglas Burton said.

      Other changes include:
• The board decided not to renew the four-year counseling contract with Catholic Charities.
• On recommendation of the District Level Planning Team, a six-week summer school program for 7th and 8th grade students will be open to students from neighboring districts to offset program costs; the afterschool program will be eliminated; and summer driver education will be offered on a tuition only basis, with the tuition cost to be determined.
• The district will no longer participate in the Hamillton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES alternative education program. An afterschool learning center for alt ed students will be created at a substantial cost savings
• The superintendent of schools, business manager, and special education coordinator will receive raises of three percent. Thirteen other confidential employees will not receive raises.

       Significant projected cost increases include those for health insurance, local share of the New York State Retirement System, and energy.
As the 2010-11 budget stands now, Burton said, the total decrease from the current budget is about $140,000. He emphasized that the budget is still a work in progress, however. “We continue to explore every way possible to provide a sound education for our students at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.” he said.

       More bad news is that school budget difficulties will not end with the 2010-11 budget. Besides increases for insurance, retirement and energy, a big factor is that federal stimulus funding, used to offset the decline in state aid for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 budgets, will not likely be available for the 2011-12 budget.

      “Development of the 2011-12 budget will be even more difficult than this one unless something changes in the way our educational system is funded. There’s not many more places we can cut,” Burton said.

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