Chappaqua School District Proposes Budget Increase of 2.24 Percent

The Chappaqua Central School District budget for the 2010-11 school year was formally presented at its Tuesday Board of Education meeting, after having been released online earlier.

The proposed budget calls for a spending increase of 2.24 percent, or $2,409,354, bringing the total budget to $109,756,488.

The amount is a drop from the projected number of 5.2 percent that was first announced in December. The district was able to bring the amount down by saving $3 million - $1 million in using reserve money, $1 million in personnel reductions and another $1 million through non personnel reductions.

Out of the personnel reductions, 7.44 teaching positions and 3.5 non-teaching positions will be eliminated either through attrition or layoffs, said Superintendent David Fleishman. In an interview, he said it has not been determined yet what proportion of the reductions will layoffs versus attrition, but also cited definite cases of attrition in music, art, buildings and ground, clerical and elementary. He said that in the case of art a retiring full-time employee will be replaced with a new part-time one. There will also be a math teacher who will drop down from full-time to part-time status, accounting for part of the reduction. The decimal points are meant to signify part-time work, with the number "1" representing one full-time position.

Reasons cited in the district's presentation were declining and shifting enrollment, and the belief that the staff would meet the needs of the students.

With regards to non-personnel reductions, they would involve cuts to spending in areas such as technology, supplies and maintenance, Fleishman said in an interview.

Fleishman said that lower than expected costs in pensions and health insurance also played a role in getting the budget increase amount lowered.

In terms of percentage, the two biggest parts of the budget are salaries at 53.5 percent and employee benefits at 20.5 percent. Employees could receive a modest salary increase this year at 1.56 percent, while benefit costs could go up 6.69 percent.

The school district also gave an early tax estimate of a 2.44 percent increase, but cautioned that it was only a projected number. John Chow, an assistant superintendent, said in an interview that they would not know the final number until late March or early April. Chow said that the district doesn't know a final number yet because of the revenue sources.

In additional to talking about the budget, the district also unveiled project enrollment numbers for its schools. The student body at Horace Greeley High School is expected to dip by 32, while the two middle schools, Robert E. Bell and Seven Bridges, are projected to have respective increases of 25 and 10 students. Dips in enrollment are relatively more notable at the elementary level, with anticipated drops of 18 students each at Westorchard and Roaring Brook. Douglas G. Grafflin is only projected to lose eight students. 

Budget presentations in more specific areas will be made at the board's subsequent meetings on March 2, March 16, March 23 and April 13. A final budget will be adopted on April 20 and it will be up for a vote on May 18.

For a copy of the district's budget, click here.