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IRVINGTON, N.Y. A budget for the 2012-13 school year proposed by Irvington Superintendent Robert Roelle would eliminate some teaching positions and adds others while increasing taxes by 1.49 percent.
Under the proposed budget, the equivalent of nine and a half full-time positions would be eliminated. The budget would add some positions within special education and administration because of increased enrollment and a focus on new state requirements.
The proposed budget would be within the tax cap, the district said.
Certainly, the current economic climate and new rules governing tax levies presented significant challenges to the administration as it developed this budget, Roelle said in a memo, adding that keeping the budget within the tax cap required some staff reductions. While such reductions were necessary, they were achieved in a thoughtful manner with a goal toward maintaining the overall integrity of the core instructional programs.
Roelle will formally present his budget to the board at a public meeting held Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Campus Presentation Room of Irvington High School. Roelle and other administrators will review the proposed budget and work with school board members to develop a final budget, which residents will vote on in May.
Among many changes, the proposed budget adds the position of assistant superintendent for curriculum and personnel at a cost of $180,000. Roelle noted that directives from the state regarding common core standards and new teacher evaluations will require strong, hands-on, leadership.
A strong curriculum person also is the chief assistant to the superintendent in advancing the district forward, Roelle said. At the same time, the district needs oversight for the human resources operations. For these reasons, it is recommended that the board include funds in the budget to support an additional administrator position.
Roelle also said expenses related to new state requirements add approximately $71,090 to the budget. These costs include professional development for teachers, a program to monitor the implementation of new teacher evaluations and assessment costs.
Instructional salaries for general and special education teachers based on the recently approved teachers' union contract represented a major cost increase in the budget, Roelle said. It also includes two teachers and one teaching assistant who were not included in the current budget but kept on staff.
Roelle's budget cuts funding from the arts in education programs by $20,000. It also reduces per-pupil allocations used to cover costs of supplies, materials, books and other expenses by 10 percent at each school for a savings of $34,000.
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