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Depew school budget features zero increase in tax levy again
For the second year in a row, the Depew Union Free School District has announced that its 2007-08 proposed budget will not increase the tax levy.
The proposed fiscal plan for next year will increase spending from 2006-07 by approximately $1.4 million, to $ 35,281,477, which includes bus purchases covered by the district's general fund and an early grade class-size reduction.
However, District Business Manager Terry Rusin said that increases in revenue, especially state aid, will offset those costs. As a result, the anticipated total change in the tax levy is 0 percent.
Last year, the district was the only one of the 29 in Erie County to propose a budget without an increase to the tax levy - Depew's actually was a .07 percent reduction - and to do virtually the same this year met with approval from the Board of Education at Tuesday's meeting.
"Again, we have held the line on our taxes and we're not aware of any other districts that have been able to do that," Rusin said. "We're developing a budget that the community can support."
Rusin credited an on-time budget from New York State and increases in state aid made by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer in helping balance Depew's budget. Also assisting the process was an additional $115,000 that the district will receive, which was announced at Tuesday's meeting by State Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak.
"The governor made a significant commitment to education this year and it was reflected in the budget that was passed," said Gabryszak, who did not know how the additional revenue would be applied. "It's kind of neat for me to be able to get the additional money and be able to come here and report it. I hope it's going to help. I am sure it won't hurt."
Some of the areas where there are proposed increases in spending include "BOCES other than special education" to accommodate an increase to 53 from 41 students in the Occupational Education program and fringe benefits, a direct result of increasing health insurance and retirement costs.
Other cost increases will come in special education and school psychology and BOCES special education, both the result of new state mandates that must be funded by the schools.
At the end of the presentation, a few residents voiced their displeasure with being unable to see or hear the budget presentation due to overcrowding of the district board room. The room was packed by a standing room-only crowd that flowed out the door and into the hallway.
"We came to the board meeting to hear about the budget you want us to vote on, and not only is it overcrowded but how many people are here as district residents and we can't even see the budget. It's a concern," said district resident Gabrielle Miller, who believed that the number of occupants in the room violated the fire code.
Miller, along with Depew resident Dave Burkhardt, inquired if there could be a way that non-district residents would not be allowed at these meetings, or at least at ones that pertain to matters such as the budget.
Board President Sue Wagner said there was no extra room in the building that could be used at a last minute's notice and pointed out that anyone has the right to attend these meetings.
"I apologize because we didn't know there would be this many people," said Wagner, who noted that she counted the people in the room at the start of the meeting and they were not in violation of fire codes. "We have accommodated people in the past if we knew there would be a big group."
She pointed out that the budget will be presented in detail to interested district residents at the first meeting in May at the high school auditorium.
The board also briefly discussed the possibility of looking further into a proposed "Safe School Helpline," an anonymous hotline for anyone to call with concerns or matters to report regarding safety at the district's schools.
The messages are transcribed and the information then sent back to the appropriate person in the district. How quickly the information is passed back depends on the immediacy of the matter.
Many local districts, especially those in Cheektowaga, are considering instituting the hotline, run by a company in Columbus, Ohio, but Assistant Superintendent of Schools George Morse said there are still some issues concerning the hotline to be discussed, in particular with the village's police department.
Morse said he is initially concerned that this will just add another complicated layer to a school safety system which he believes already works well.
"We feel like we do a good job of staying on top of what's going on with our students," Morse said. "There are a lot of ways in which students talk to us. We encourage the students to discuss their problems and concerns and our teachers are like counselors. We also have a good working relationship with the police department."
Board member Diane Benczkowski pointed out that the district could still try the service without making a long term commitment since it is offered on a yearby year basis.
Morse said the matter will be discussed further this week at a meeting of the Safety Committee and that a recommendation will be brought to the board at the next meeting April 17. The district may make a final decision on the matter after further discussion at the joint-Cheektowaga Schools meeting April 30.
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