School Budget Vote

This is from the Shen PTA:

Shenendehowa Central Schools
Remember to vote Tuesday, May 15

On May 15, residents will vote on a $137,955,989 million budget that, if approved, would increase taxes by 3.85%, the lowest tax increase in four years. The proposed budget preserves all of the current, high-quality programs and services, and moves the district forward by addressing enrollment growth and implementing programs and initiatives to help all students meet the challenge of graduation and a successful life after Shenendehowa. Residents will also vote on a proposition to replace aging buses.

What does the proposed budget accomplish?

Reduces overcrowding

Our new elementary school, Shatekon, and eleven classrooms at the middle school will open in September 2007. After years of planning, the overcrowding at the elementary and middle school level will be eliminated and balance restored across the district. This is a major accomplishment. The district will finally, after several years of overcrowding and enrollment imbalance, be able to reduce enrollment in all of our elementary schools. Further, the district will be able to create space to ensure a consistent elementary learning experience for all students. The budget also supports opening the new classroom wing at the middle school which will help to better manage growing enrollments at that level and sharing of special area courses such as Art, Foreign Language, and others across all three middle schools.

While our annual enrollment projections indicate that the pace of growth has slowed somewhat, the district is still growing at a noticeable rate. With growth comes the need to address class sizes and additional staffing needs for certain courses in the proposed budget.

Provides safety net for struggling students

Shenendehowa, like all public schools across the state, is faced with increased accountability of state assessments and federal benchmarks for student performance. The bar has risen and our students are up for the challenge. The proposed budget includes additional funds for late buses for after-school programs for elementary schools to help provide tutorial or homework assistance and more extra-curricular opportunities; alternative approaches to providing education programs and services to high school students identified as at-risk of dropping out of school or not satisfying the requirements for a regents diploma; programs focused on strengthening the skills (such as reading) of middle school students in anticipation of the more rigorous high school curriculum to help improve performance across all academic areas; and expanded summer school opportunities to bridge the gap in learning that occurs during the summer for some students therefore, avoiding regression in performance.

Improves efficiency

A tremendous focus has been on improving processes and reviewing protocols to avoid redundancies and waste of valuable time and resources. This has been achieved through the use of repair and maintenance plans, a new student information system and better use of internal expertise. This budget provides funds to open the new transportation facility which is a prime example of improved facilities. With more than 190 buses traveling more than 2.5 million miles annually, the ability to do inspections and repairs in-house coupled with a consistent replacement plan has helped reduce vehicle maintenance costs. The new facility will provide the opportunity for the transportation department to maintain the fleet much more efficiently, further reducing costs.

Preserves investments

By far, the greatest investment of this community is its school buildings and grounds. The district facility spans more than one million square feet of building space, 20 miles of road, and 357 acres of land. As it stands the district is reimbursed 70% for eligible projects from the state. However, portions of the district’s facility maintenance are not eligible for building aid. The proposed budget includes additional funds for creating a maintenance repair fund to address those repair and maintenance needs on an on-going basis. Further, additional staffing is included to help ensure proper maintenance and upkeep of new and existing facilities.

Polls are open on May 15 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the gymnasium in Gowana Middle School. To vote you must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older and a district resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote. No pre-registration is required, however, you must have personal identification.