Irvington BoE Adopts Tax Cap-Compliant $51 Million Budget

Irvington’s school board formally adopted a budget Tuesday that calls for spending next year of more than $51 million.

While the proposed budget—an increase of more than $800,000, or 1.65 percent—comes in tax-cap-compliant, it nevertheless hikes property-tax rates 3.01 percent, to $609.99 for each $1,000 of assessed value. It cuts the equivalent of more than eight full-time staff members, including foreign-language and guidance positions.

The board scheduled a public hearing on the budget for May 1 and a public vote on it, in one form or another, two weeks later. In reality, however, the public has been offering its input for weeks, with critics especially outspoken about cuts in language classes.

Before the board could adopt its budget Tuesday evening, more than two-dozen residents filled the school library’s Presentation Room, many of them waiting to address the board. In drafting their proposed budget, board members had included money that could fund the eliminated language classes. But by stopping short of requiring that the money be spent for that purpose, the board fired up critics. “It concerns me,” Esther Sarma told the members, “that there isn’t something a bit more explicit.”

A student pressed for specifics. “What are you doing about foreign languages and the threat to the integrity of the program?” Melissa Kuriloff, an Irvington High School senior, asked.

Trustee James McCann, for his part, felt the board had acted to protect the language sequence, saying, “What’s important to me is how do we fund the ability for you to take a class. We’ve done that . . . . We put the money in the bank to pay for your program.”

While Camille Agro said she hoped “it doesn’t come down to pitting AP physics against languages,” her principal concern was the loss of a guidance counselor. “I think it’s a big mistake,” Agro said. “She does so much for our kids.”

In addition to challenging what had been eliminated, critics also complained about what had been included in the budget. “Is this the year to be adding a custodial position?” Robyn Kerner asked of the $47,000 position.

In a bigger-ticket area, new Albany-imposed core-curriculum standards and teacher-performance evaluations have led Irvington and other school districts to look at hiring a curriculum coordinator. Originally budgeted as a $180,000-a-year position, it took a $15,000 reduction in the budget deliberations. Still, Daniel Robbins challenged the potential hire. “With all this talk about the amount of money that’s not there, has there ever been a question about . . . hiring this big, fat new administrator?” he asked. “Why do we need this person this year?

“It’s not,” he insisted, “for the students.”

“No,” Board President John Dawson agreed. “It’s for the state, for mandates.”

The state requirement looming largest over the budget deliberations was the tax cap. Enacted last year, it limits year-to-year tax-levy increases to about 2 percent, with the exact figure varying under a complex formula of exemptions and property assessments. Irvington’s levy for 2012-13 comes to $45,930,544, beating the cap by a razor-thin $718. If the tax levy had exceeded the cap, the budget would have to be approved by 60 percent of the voters instead of a simple majority.

Board salutes Lady Bulldogs

Irvington’s girls basketball team, winner of the Federation Class B title in Albany a week and a half ago, won the hearts of the school board and a crowded board meeting room Tuesday.

“Thank you very, very much for what you have givens us,” Board President John Dawson told the Lady Bulldogs and their legendary coach, Gina Maher. Over a three-year span, the team has captured three Section I titles, three Regional titles, three New York State Public School Athletic Association (NYSPSAA) titles and two Federation championships. “Seniors,” Dawson asked in mock-appeal, “do you really have to go?”

Read an interview with team members