Scarsdale 10583

At the first community budget review session on Tuesday February 6, the Scarsdale School administration presented their initial draft of the 2012-13 proposed school budget. Ending months of speculation about whether or not the budget would exceed the 2% New York State cap, the proposed draft does include an increase that is .94% above the cap, bringing the total tax levy increase to 3.62% for a proposed school budget of $142,884,284. For the average Scarsdale taxpayer, the .94% increase above the cap would mean an additional payment of $220.

The proposed budget for 2012-13 exceeds the prior year’s budget of $138,443,938 by $3,840,946 or 2.77%. The largest contributing factors to the increase are teacher salaries, pension and health care payments and plant improvement funds. However, due to a projected dip in enrollment in the elementary schools, the district plans to reduce staff by five full time employees, saving about $500,000 in salaries and another $200,000 in benefits.

The “2% cap” is actually a misnomer, as certain items are exempt from the cap by law. The administration is permitted to add Scarsdale’s growth rate of .0057% to the two percent and to eliminate $1,570,000 in proposed capitol expenditures from the cap calculation.

Enrollment trends from the demographer suggest that 62 fewer students will enter elementary school next year. This is the second year in a row that enrollment will drop from a high in 2010-11. Since the numbers at the middle school and high school will remain constant, no changes in the number of teachers at these two school will be made. However, a very large class of 409 students now in the seventh grade will move through the high school in the coming years, and therefore the administration does not anticipate any cuts in high school staffing for the foreseeable future.

The proposed budget includes the use of $3.87 million from the fund balance, a figure that will be discussed among Board members at a later meeting. It was noted at the session that the school has been experiencing surpluses in the past few years. For 2011-12 the administration again expects that revenues will exceed expenses as there have been savings for fuel due to the warm winter, teachers salaries and health care costs.

Assistant Superintendent Linda Purvis outlined projects that would be financed with the $1.570 million plant improvement budget which is $500,000 higher than 2011-12 but still 25% lower than the 2008-9 number. Almost all of the line items are for repairs or safety compliance. On the list are the following:

• Ventilation system replacement at Edgewood
• Asbestos removal and lighting upgrade in the Heathcote auditorium
• Exterior stair replacement at the Middle School
• New oil tank and column repairs at Choice
• Emergency generator connection at the High School

One new project will be undertaken. At Scarsdale High School the former auto shop will be converted into a satellite lounge/cafeteria for small group instruction.

In the community comments portion of the meeting, High School PTA President Vivienne Braun asked the Board if they are addressing high school staffing issues following the reduction of the staff by eight full time positions since 2008. Superintendent McGill responded that Assistant Principal Kelly Hamm has reviewed class size numbers several times and found that the number of sections that exceed 25 students are within historical averages.

Discussion of the proposed budget will continue on Wednesday night February 8 in rooms 170-172 of Scarsdale High School. The public is invited to attend.

Comments? Please include your first and last names along with any comments you have on the school budget.

(Photo courtesy of Nan Berke)

Comments (17)

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written by Jeff b, February 16, 2012

Mr Mintz,

The budget does not include a full time demographer. The district uses a consultant named Lloyd bishop, who is used by many, many districts.

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written by Roland Beckman, February 10, 2012

Is "Real resident" a real resident in Scarsdale or just a phony pen name?

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written by Real resident, February 10, 2012

Are "Roland Beckman" and "Edward Mintz" real residents in Scarsdale? Does anybody know them, or are these phony pen names?

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written by Edward Mintz, February 09, 2012

If we look over the dinner check before we pay it, why wouldn’t we look over the budget carefully before we increase our taxes? The article above compares the proposed budget to last year’s budget? Why aren’t they comparing the proposed budget to last year’s actual spending? We may find that actual spending is much less than budget this year. Every conservative budget must have some contingency. The School Admin should be more transparent about where the contingencies are included. By the way, the conversion of the auto shop is a throw-away budget item. Makes you feel like you have done due diligence when you cut it but it is really just keeping you from looking at the real issues. We want to know how every penny is going directly to enhance our children’s education. The budget includes a full-time demographer and full-time PR person. They can outsource both and apply the savings to ensuring that every class (not just the statistical average) is a reasonable size. And put that newsletter fluff online. The children’s real experience in our schools is a reflection of community values. Not the size of the budget.

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written by burdened by taxes, February 09, 2012

the town and the school board need to understand that the residents in Scarsdale cannot support this "blank check" mentality. Belt tightening and a true understanding of fiscal responsibility include a realization that annual increases in taxes are NOT guaranteed and that, as the entities in charge of running the village and the schools should set the example and work harder to live WITHIN their means and shoot for real zero percent increase in taxes. Which means making some hard, and potentially unfavorable decisions, and protecting the citizens of this community.

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written by Tax reality, February 09, 2012

Roland - open your eyes! Yes, taxes are high in Scarsdale. They are also equally high in Ardsley, Bronxville, Larchmont and even White Plains! Move up to Greenwich and the taxes are miraculously lower. Wonder why? That is because this isn't a Scarsdale issue this is an issue for all of Westchester county.

We are much better of differentiating Scarsdale from other towns in Westchester with the top schools rather than having nearly equal taxes with undifferentiated schools.

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written by Scott, February 09, 2012

Roland,
I have to disagree with you as to a zero sum gain after the reassessment. Those who are taxed fairly haven't complained. Those in smaller homes who have grieved have been justified, and all those sitting in their under-taxed larger older homes are smart enough to keep their mouths shut. Those are the ones who will bear the brunt of it, and it will almost be funny to hear the people who live in the big homes complain that they can't afford their new taxes...boo frickin' who, time to refinance the Hamptons house, and maybe next year fly commercial out to Beaver Creek. I am so tired of the phoney largess in this town!

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written by Roland Beckman, February 09, 2012

I complain only because I love this town and want it to remain a community where residents are not forced to leave because of the overwhelming, crushing, property tax burden. The unremitting tax rate growth is simply not justified is these difficult economic times. The apologists who blame outside forces -- to wit, State mandates -- ignore that the salary/benefits Hydra has been self-imposed by overly generous Administrators and Boards in Scarsdale over the years, and in particular, over the past 15.

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written by The Truth, February 09, 2012

Roland - You are absolutely right that a property tax re-assessment will not generate any incremental revenue. However, maybe some of the people that are concerned with their current taxes will get re-assessed down making them feel more comfortable with their taxes. However, my guess is that the very vocal minority, like you, you will never be satisfied with your taxes and will never stop complaining.

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written by Roland Beckman, February 09, 2012

Again, townwide revaluation will not generate any additional tax revenues. It is a zero sum game. Those who are currently underassessed will pay more property tax after reval -- as well they should -- and those who are currently overassessed will pay less property tax. There will be no additional tax revenues to distribute. Reval only affects the allocation of the tax levies among property owners.

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written by unbalanced taxes, February 09, 2012

I am not sure what they would do with the extra money but there would be lots of extra if they marked every house to market value and adjusted taxes appropriately.

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written by Scott, February 09, 2012

Roland,
All that "Unbalanced" is trying to point out is that the bigger / older homes in town are NOT taxed to the same scale that the "average" homes are.
Some places revalue a home EVERY time it sells. This has proven to be a pitfall in places like Florida where the market tanked, but given Scarsdales real estate track record, a home should have its tax change EVERY time it sells! This would be pretty easy to do, and there would be fewer grieve cases.

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written by Roland Beckman, February 08, 2012

Unbalanced Taxes, you suffer from a common misconception concerning revaluation. Revaluation, which is long overdue (and which the Village is supposed to begin next month) merely affects the distribution of the tax levy among property owners in town. Revaluation will result in those underassessed properties being brought to fair market value so the rest of us won't have to subsidize their property taxes (and those with overassessed properties will see their property taxes go down. However, the school budget (and the tax levy to pay for the school budget) is completely unaffected by revaluation (except to the extent that reserves for tax certs should ultimately go down once properties are carried at full market value). What happens after reval is that the tax levies are distributed more equitably among the property owners.

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written by unbalanced taxes, February 08, 2012

It is unfortunate that this problem can not be solved by having reassessment. I believe new construction is now taxed at 2.33% of the sale value. Why can't they set taxes on every house sold in this way? There are far too many people underpaying. A house in my neighborhood sold for 1.95m last summer with taxes under 20k. Everybody who is overpaying taxes grieves and we are left with this deficit. If they would just reassess homes and get everyone in line for taxes then we would have plenty of money for the budget.

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written by Reality Check, February 08, 2012

Roland - the reality is that there is absolutely no evidence that the tax cap enjoys "overwhelming taxpayer support". That is complete hubris. In fact, budgets with much larger increases have conisistently passed year over year in Scarsdale with over 70% of the voters supporting those budgets. There is absolutely no precedence of a budget vote failing, let alone not receiving 60% of the vote.

Additionally, I think that the administration has been very responsible in their development of this budget. The facts are that the budget proposed adds no additional programs and the vast majority of the increase in budget are due increases in state mandated expenses (pension funds, healthcare, etc.) The administration has done everything they can do to minimize increases to the budget. If you are upset with the increase in taxes that will result from these mandates you should get out a pen and write your state legislators and governor about it. The administration and school board can't curb these out of control expenses.

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written by Fiscal Discipline, February 08, 2012

Amen Mr Beckman's comment. It is truly amazing. Is the BoE deaf to the sounds of financial challenges everywhere? I knew this would happen.

The BoE would like to divide the community into those who "support" the quality of schools and those who do not -- which is not the real debate. We can and will have great quality schools living within the tax cap and cutting some of the excess fat that they are just plainly unwilling to do. I have 2 kids in the school system and if asked today, I would vote against an above the cap budget and ask the BoE to show us how the plan would look with a budget within the tax cap - and not just throw out scare tactics that the world will end unless we jack up taxes massively yet again.

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written by Roland Beckman, February 08, 2012

The Administration's refusal to submit a budget within the tax cap is a slap in the face to the long-suffering taxpayers of Scarsdale. Edgemont has proposed a school budget well within the tax cap. The Village of Scarsdale has proposed a first crack budget within the tax cap. The County - God bless Rob Astorino -- has enacted a zero percent growth budget for the year. But Dr. McGill, displaying his hubris, can't be encumbered by the new tax cap legislation which enjoys overwhelming taxpayer support. The Board has an opportunity to do the responsible thing which is to insist that Dr. McGill reformulate a budget that complies with the tax cap. The proposed budget will increase school property taxes by nearly 4 1/2 percent. That will cost the average Scarsdale taxpayer another $1000 in school taxes next year. Stop the madness. Insist on a modicum of fiscal responsibilty. If not, the budget should be defeated.

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