HALF HOLLOW HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT of Huntington and Babylon. First Community Meeting in preparation for the Budget

HALF HOLLOW HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT of Huntington and Babylon First Community Meeting in preparation for the 2013 14 Budget January 7, 2013

Agenda Welcome/Introductions Meeting Purpose/Objectives Challenges in Developing the 2013 14 Budget State of the 2013 14 Budget Additional Information Regarding Budget Survey Reference Guide Survey Questions and Answers 2

2012 13 Budget Basics Expenses 80% Salaries & Benefits $222 million 18% Vendor Contracts & Other* 2% Equipment & Supplies * Includes contract transportation, outside service providers, TAN, debt service, transfer to capital and BOCES 4

2012 13 Budget Basics Expenses 80% Salaries & Benefits Of this 80% of the budget: 0.88% Superintendent & Assistant Superintendents 5.82% Administrators 70.94% Teachers 13.67% Clerical/Paras/Monitors 3.02% Transportation 5.66% Custodial/Maintenance/Grounds 5

2012 13 Budget Basics Revenues Tax Levy State Aid 82% 11% $222 million Other* 7% * Other includes PILOTs and use of fund balance and reserves 6

What is the Property Tax Levy Cap? Legislation in effect for the 2012 13 budget year and forward whose goal was to address rising property taxes across New York State. Requires districts to complete a State formula for calculating the allowable tax levy and imposes severe constraints to maintain local control. State Aid 7

BEFORE the Property Tax Levy Cap Educational Priorities Proposed Budget Key Budget Development Considerations: Educational priorities drive the process Local control over a large portion of revenues Simple majority (50% +1) means an approved budget Implications of a failed budget create unique challenges 8

Property Tax Levy Cap What we heard 2% cap on growth of property taxes Mandate relief is coming Districts should use their rainy day funds Legislation is fair and equitable since everyone follows the same formula What we know 2% is not 2% There is no cap, just a voting threshold Simple majority versus super majority New rules for Contingent Budgets will devastate programs There was no pertinent mandate relief Further separation of communities across Long Island: haves versus have nots How we responded We used more of our rainy day funds We communicated early and often We reduced our 2012 13 budget by over $9 million We began planning for the 2013 14 budget even earlier 9

What Did 2% Really Mean? 4.50% 4.00% 3.50% 3.00% 2.50% 2.00% 1.50% 1.00% 0.50% 0.00% The 2% Calculation for Western Suffolk Districts in 2012 13 The State formula allowed a 2.33% property tax levy increase for HHH by achieving a simple majority at budget vote time. 10

Using More of Our Rainy Day Fund $10,000,000 $9,000,000 $8,000,000 $7,000,000 $6,000,000 $5,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $ 2008 09 2009 10 2010 11 2011 12 2012 13 Use of Reserves Use of Fund Balance 11

Pros and Cons of Rainy Day Fund Use Reduce burden on taxpayers Minimize program reductions Limited purpose use Respond to State and local input Local control Increased borrowing costs Budget gap in subsequent years Comptroller & External Auditors 12

2013 14 Budget Development Benefits Costs Equipment & Supplies Employment Contract Obligations Vendor Contracts Utilizing projections and known increases or decreases to expenses, the preliminary estimated cost to keep all programs and services in place as they exist today would mean the following for 2013 14: 7.1% estimated budget to budget increase 8.5% estimated property tax levy increase 13

2013 14 Budget Development Use of Rainy Day Fund State Aid Tax Levy Increase of 2.8% $9.5 million of reductions needed in 2013 14 budget Assumptions: State Aid remains constant Use of fund balance and reserves remains constant No piercing of the property tax levy cap Simple majority means an approved budget 14

Which Brings Us to Tonight Engage & Educate Utilize more reserves and/or fund balance? Close a building? Reduce which services? Eliminate which programs? Pierce the Cap? 15

Budget Survey Reference Guide Responding to additional information on: Controlling Administrative Costs Closing Fran Greenspan Administrative Center Transportation Option to close Chestnut Hill Elementary School Option to close Candlewood Middle School Option to close High School West Middle School 8 Period Day 17

Controlling Administrative Costs School Year # of Administrators Administrator Salaries as a % of the Overall Budget Increase or (Decrease) from Prior Year 2009 10 56 3.9% 2010 11 54 3.8% $58,341 2011 12 52 3.6% ($312,976) 2012 13 50 3.4% ($127,586) Total Administrator salary expense has decreased by $382,221 since 2009 10

Controlling Administrative Costs Reduction of Administrative Positions Assistant Superintendent for Research, Assessment and Special Services Chief Information Officer Coordinator of FACS and Instructional Computing Elementary Assistant Principal High School Dean of Students Special Education Literacy Specialist

Controlling Administrative Costs Elimination of SBAs and Liaison stipends Reduction in eight administrative support positions Reassignment to Building Level from Central Office: School Psychologist Social Worker

Controlling Administrative Costs Contractual Negotiations for Administrators Association 2011 12: 0% Increase 2012 13 & 2013 14: 0% Increase & Step Freeze Two year savings of over $1.2 million Since 2009 10, Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent salary expenses have decreased by $287,108

Center for American Progress January 2011 independent evaluation of 611 New York State School Districts ranked Half Hollow Hills: In the 92 nd Percentile in Student Achievement 50 th out of 611 NYS School Districts In the 6 th Percentile in Administrative Costs as a percentage of the overall budget 573 rd out of 611 NYS School Districts In the 23 rd Percentile in Administrator to Pupil Ratio 470 th out of 611 NYS School Districts

Center for American Progress Return on Investment: An Independent District by District Evaluation of Educational Productivity: Doing What Works (January 2011) Half Hollow Hills has the highest State Achievement Index of any school of its diversity!

Fran Greenspan Administrative Center Why not close the Fran Greenspan Administrative Center? Houses 107 employees and Reach/CYA staff Contains offices of Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents, Human Resources, Special Education, Curriculum, Payroll, Accounting, Technology Infrastructure, Board Room, District Clerk, Facilities, Central Mailroom, Central Registration, School Lunch and Reach/CYA If close building, savings are three custodians and one hall monitor Considerations Cost of relocating and redistribution of employees spread among 11 buildings Relocation and recreation of technology infrastructure Reduced efficiency due to loss of centralized personnel/services Loss of public meeting spaces 24

Transportation Can we eliminate 100% busing? Changes to universal busing can only be accomplished through a public vote Universal busing is in place due to: Wide expanse of District s boundaries Main roads surrounding many of our buildings Lack of sidewalks for student walkers Currently the District contracts out approximately 100 buses 25

Option to Close an Elementary School Why is this an option? Decreasing enrollment at elementary level 2013 14 budget reductions needed 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 Total K 5 Elementary Enrollments 2,000 June 2011 June 2012 December 2012 2013 14 2014 15

Option to Close Chestnut Hill In choosing which elementary school to close, the considerations are to: Create optimal feeder patterns for students transitioning to the middle and high schools Achieve enrollment balance in all schools Chestnut Hill s location on the south service road of the Long Island Expressway provides potential for leasing

Option to Close Chestnut Hill Otsego Elementary Paumanok Elementary Sunquam Elementary Forest Park Elementary Candlewood Middle School Vanderbilt Elementary Signal Hill Elementary West Hollow Middle School Chestnut Hill Elementary For 2013 14 and beyond, Candlewood enrollment will be substantially lower than West Hollow. To achieve enrollment balance between buildings, more students will need to transition into Candlewood versus West Hollow. 28

Option to Close Chestnut Hill The least disruptive option is to close a school with students who transition to West Hollow and distribute the majority of those students to schools which transition to Candlewood Of the schools which transition to West Hollow, Chestnut Hill has the lowest enrollment, therefore effecting the least number of students Chestnut Hill busing patterns are most conducive to a redistricting for only the effected school

Option to Close Chestnut Hill Chestnut Hill student relocation plan achieves: Average class size of 22.5 students throughout the District Balanced enrollment among remaining six elementary schools Relocation of 437 regular education Chestnut Hill students to five elementary buildings Forest Park Vanderbilt Signal Hill Otsego Sunquam

Option to Close Chestnut Hill 2013 14 regular education projected enrollments by elementary building achieve balance as a result of the proposed student distribution under the closing of Chestnut Hill option Candlewood Forest Park 568 Otsego 560 Vanderbilt 554 West Hollow Paumanok 530 Signal Hill 569 Sunquam 538

Option to Close Chestnut Hill The closing of Chestnut Hill option as proposed ensures better balancing over time of fifth graders transitioning to both middle schools Projected number of 5 th Graders transitioning to West Hollow 2013 14 275 students 2014 15 321 students Projected number of 5 th Graders transitioning to Candlewood 2013 14 333 students 2014 15 372 students 2015 16 328 students 2015 16 297 students

Option to Close a Middle School Why is this an option? Decreasing enrollment at middle school level 2013 14 budget reductions needed Over $3 million in potential savings from reductions in: Building Administrators Teachers Program Modifications Support Services Nurse Custodial Clerical Monitors/Paraprofessionals Security 33

Option to Close Candlewood How is this achieved? Sixth grade students would remain at their present elementary school All seventh and eighth grade students would attend West Hollow Middle School If Candlewood were to close, enrollment at West Hollow would be: 1,423 1,607 1,398 2012 13 Actual (Grades 6 8) 2013 14 Projected (Grades 7 8) 2014 15 Projected (Grades 7 8) 34

Option to Close High School West What does it mean? Sixth grade students would remain at the elementary level Ninth grade students would remain at the middle school level All tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students would attend High School East 35

Option to Close High School West Projected middle school enrollments: West Hollow (Grades 7 9) 2013 14 1,420 students Candlewood (Grades 7 9) 2013 14 1,039 students Projected High School East enrollment: Current 1,852 2013 14 2,483 2014 15 2,531 (Grades 9 12) Combined high school enrollment (Grades 10 12) 36

Option of Middle School 8 Period Day What does it mean? Elimination of the following courses: Computers Grade 6 Seminar in Math Grade 7 Seminar in Social Studies Grade 8 Modification of the following courses: Exploration of World Languages Grade 6 Music (opposite Physical Education) Grade 6 Health Grade 6 37