Potsdam running out of places to trim
POTSDAM — There are few places to trim administrative costs in the school district, according to Superintendent Patrick H. Brady.
Mr. Brady has suggested reducing administration expenses by approximately $13,700 in the Potsdam Central School District's proposed $26 million spending plan for 2011-12.
The proposed budget calls for eliminating 18 staff positions, using as much as $1.6 million in fund balance and reserves and hiking the tax levy 4 percent to offset an anticipated budget gap of approximately $3 million.
Potsdam was targeted for a $2 million reduction in state aid under Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's original budget proposal this year.
In recent weeks, school board members have been under fire for not doing more to find budget cuts outside of those proposed for the classroom. In particular, district officials have been chastised at recent public meetings for not taking a harder look at extracurricular costs, and at the cost of administration.
In response to those concerns, Mr. Brady unveiled $13,700 in fresh cuts to the district's administrative budget line on Tuesday. He said the proposed savings could be achieved by reducing the district's dean of students/athletic director from a 12-month to 11-month position, and doing the same with two secretarial jobs.
Mr. Brady said that Potsdam has one of the lowest administrative-to-student cost ratios in the state, and that there are few administrative areas left to cut.
He said there are 695 school districts across the state, with administrative costs ranging from $6,000 to $199 per student. He found the information on the website SeeThroughNY and learned that Potsdam central is ranked 560 out of 695 districts when it comes to the portion of money spent on administrative costs compared with the rest of the budget.
Mr. Brady said Potsdam spends about $399 per student on costs associated with administration.
"That means there are 559 schools that spend more on that administrative line out of the 695," Mr. Brady said. "I know I am an administrator talking about administration, but I feel like we need to step up and make a case here about why we haven't put more administrative cuts on, because I don't always think the public understands."
In addition to showcasing proposed cuts to the administrative budget, Mr. Brady recommended the possible reinstatement of several positions proposed for elimination as part of the draft 2011-12 budget at Tuesday's finance meeting.
The proposed "add backs" could be paid for by using an additional $200,000 in reserve funds, Mr. Brady said.
The positions include a teaching position, half a school psychologist position, half an art teacher position, half a business teacher job and a summer school position.
Board member Ann M. Carvill said she couldn't support reinstatements unless a music teacher, also slated for elimination, was reinstated as well.
"With regards to looking at this list, I really can't support it unless the music position is back in. We've heard from the public. I don't need to reiterate what they've said," Mrs. Carvill said. "They've given us all of the reasons why music has been central to our history. It's the Crane School of Music, not the Crane School of something else."
Board member Mary Ashley Carroll said she too would like to see changes to the list of possible positions to be removed from the chopping block, and challenged Mr. Brady for not involving the board more fully in the budget-building process.
"I guess my frustration again is there was no input from the board in terms of generating this list," Mrs. Carroll said. "We had it given to us and I would like some input on the front end."
Mr. Brady disagreed.
"I don't understand that, because we're going to have two extra meetings than we normally have in the budget process and we've asked around the table if board members have specific things they wanted us to look at. Just let us know and we would do it," Mr. Brady said.
