The elimination of 54 school district employees, raised class sizes, program cuts and a restructuring to a half- day kindergarten program throughout the district were all possible scenarios discussed last night between the Mamaroneck School District Board of Education and the community at a meeting regarding a potential $7.5 million budget gap the District could face in the 2010-2011 school year. 

Due to declining revenues and raising costs, simply rolling-over last year's budget could result in an estimated 9 percent increase in total costs, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Fried explained to an audience of about 150 school leaders, teachers and parents during Tuesday's Budget Reduction Initiative meeting.   

With this year's budget coming in at $120 million, a 9 percent increase would result in taxpayers possibly having to take on a $10 million increase in cost. Dr. Fried recognized that in today's economic climate, asking the community for such a budget increase would be "unacceptable."

Instead, he looks to keep the budget increase to below 3 percent, leaving the District to explore ways it could facilitate the impact the remaining $7.5 million would cause.  

"This is not a budget meeting," Dr. Fried reminded the crowd. "No decision will be made tonight."

The event was a working session for the Board and the community to ask questions and raise concerns.

Dr. Fried went on to add, "These are painful, but necessary decisions. Our focus will be on the students first and our goal will be to reduce, not eliminate, wherever possible."  

The board and the audience were then walked through a series of options mapping out possible budget cut areas in each of the District's six schools.  These options can be viewed by clicking here (This is the District's Web site's home page. Scroll down to the "announcements" section. You'll find a link to a Power Point presentation in the first paragraph).

"These are the best of the worst," Fried said, describing the initiatives that he helped to create alongside the administration from each school level. 

The first $3.7 million in cuts would come from reducing programs and decreasing spending in areas that have the least effect on the students, among them the elimination of the Mamaroneck High School and Hommocks Middle School musicals and a reduction in technology upgrades throughout the system. The remaining $3.8 million would have to be covered by a reduction in staff throughout the district and could result in the possible elimination of certain athletic programs on the high school and middle school level. 
 

A series of discussions followed as the schools principals and district leaders attempted to illustrate what such changes would entail for the daily academic life of our students.

Among those of most concern were the possible loss of structured-in academic time in the middle school level, an overloaded workload for teachers and less class options in the high school and the effect a loss in full-day kindergarten might have on the long-term academic success of the student body.

Emotions ran high in the Hommocks Auditorium, with one mother addressing the board with a respectful plea to "think long and hard before making such crucial decisions." Another was visibly upset at the thought of her third child, an incoming kindergartener, not sharing in the same experience that her two older school-aged children had.   

School Board President Linnet Tse urged the community to get involved and express their thoughts and concerns by e-mailing the Board directly at board@mamkschools.org.  She stated that each and every e-mail would be read and that all ideas and input would be considered. 

The board will meet again Tuesday, Feb. 9th at 7:30 p.m. to continue this open community discussion.