April 22, 2008 - The North Colonie Central School District’s Board of Education adopted an $88,439,000 proposed budget for the 2008-09 school year at its March 24 board meeting.

District residents will vote on the proposed budget on Tuesday, May 20, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at all elementary schools. Maplewood residents vote at Goodrich School. In addition, voters will select three members to the Board of Education.

The proposed budget would result in an estimated tax rate increase of 3.76 percent—the smallest proposed increase in a decade. This translates into an increase of $102.72 for the owner of a home assessed at $150,000 or $170.88 for the owner of a home assessed at $250,000.

“We are all truly committed to both maintaining a strong academic program and continuing to support the tradition of prudent fiscal responsibility,” said Superintendent Randy Ehrenberg.

For the first time, the proposed budget incorporates expenses and revenues associated with the Maplewood-Colonie Common School District, which will officially become a part of the North Colonie Central School District on July 1, 2008. The annexation will generate the receipt of more than $30 million in New York State Operating Incentive Aid over the next 14 years and a significant increase in state building aid for North Colonie.

The proposed budget includes the transfer of $887,000 from district reserves to help pay for the capital project, approved by voters in March 2008. The project, largely funded, by state EXCEL aid, includes infrastructure repairs and improvements throughout the entire school district.

Proposed 2008-09 budget initiatives
Highlights of the proposed budget include the following.

• Expand foreign language to fifth and sixth-graders to provide them with an opportunity to develop a basic foundation of language skills and cultural understandings in an elementary language exploratory program. Add two elementary foreign language staff positions to accommodate the new program.
   

• Add 2.8 additional staff at the high school to address programmatic needs in foreign language, family and consumer sciences, technology education, physical education, special education and English.
   

• Add two bus drivers to accommodate Maplewood students, one district-wide occupational therapist to serve an increasing number of students in need of Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and one physical education teacher at the elementary level to comply with state mandates.
   

• Add elementary building assistant staffing so that each elementary school has a full-time building assistant. By expanding the current part-time level of staffing at each school, each principal will be able to fully engage in instructional leadership.
   

• Establish a new Human Resources Department to handle all facets of personnel, including collection of data for analysis, monitoring and decision-making. Currently, all functions related to human resources have been delegated and administered by the offices of the superintendent and two assistant superintendents, as well as their respective staff. This centralized approach would allow these operations to work more efficiently and effectively without spreading the burden across three offices.
   

• Establish a new Systematic Regular Education Intervention (SREI) program at the senior high school to assist students who require more intensive regular education intervention in order to increase the likelihood of promotion and graduation.
   

• Increase the technology budget by $317,000 to commence a four-year computer replacement schedule.
   

• Begin offering a new computerized parent notification system to contact the school community about emergency notifications, early releases and absence tracking through phone calls to homes, cell phones, e-mail and text messages.
   

• Upgrade the district's outdated telephone system in all buildings to allow for more cost-effective repair and maintenance.

The Board of Education and administration began examining the instructional and support needs of the district in October as part of the annual evaluation process. In January, they began reviewing the preliminary budget recommendations made by schools and steering committees, as well as new program proposals. Representatives from each of the schools were involved in the budget development process.

Board of Education election
Two five-year seats, and one two-year seat are up for election on May 20. The five-year seats are currently held by Joan Hart and Theresa Joslin. One two-year term is also up for election due to the recent resignation of David Rosenthal.

Residents encouraged to attend budget presentations
Residents can learn more about the proposed budget by attending any one of several budget presentations over the next two months. A Public Forum and Meet the Board of Education Candidates Night will also be held on Thursday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Shaker Senior High School Counseling Center. Additionally, district residents will receive a detailed budget edition of Inside North Colonie in mid April.

For more information, visit the Budget Development section of the district Web site.