BOE assesses BOCES budget, school district reports

WEBUTUCK — Keeping busy with updates from the Dutchess County Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and the North East (Webutuck) Central School District, the Webutuck Board of Education (BOE) held a meeting on Tuesday, April 14, to review the proposed BOCES budget for the 2020-21 school year along with the latest reports from the Webutuck district.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the meeting was organized via Zoom.

BOCES budget

Dutchess BOCES School Business Official Matthew Metzger led the BOE through a presentation of the proposed BOCES budget for 2020-21. Starting with an explanation of the financial structure and process for BOCES, Metzger said the structure was divided into three major budget categories: programs and services; capital and rentals; and administrative, which included all BOCES retiree health insurance costs. Because all of its funding comes from the school districts that participate in BOCES services, Webutuck Business Administrator Robert Farrier explained on a later date that BOCES has no fund balance to carry over in its budget, which means it reimburses the school districts if there is any surplus. 

During the 2018-19 school year, Webutuck’s total BOCES contract was calculated at $1,512,601, which means the Cooperative Services (COSER) surplus paid in the 2019-20 school year totaled $75,240. Metzger reported that the estimated BOCES aid payable in the 2019-20 school year came to $353,232 while the total amount estimated to be paid this year came to $428,472 and the total percentage of the BOCES contract returned to the district as surplus or aid came to 28.3%.

As an historical overview of the BOCES budget process, Metzger said BOCES has partnered with school districts throughout the tax cap era by limiting the BOCES annual service rate increases to 2% or less per year. He added that BOCES has worked with its labor unions and third party vendors to “prudently manage controllable costs” and collaborated with school districts to “create high quality, innovative programs and services to meet their evolving needs.” 

Among some of the challenges BOCES has faced, he said that by law, the BOCES retiree health insurance cost must be paid through the administrative budget. Additionally, nearly 70% of the administrative budget is comprised of retiree health insurance costs, and health insurance premium increases have exceeded 7% on average during the last seven years.

Among some of its mitigation efforts, Metzger said BOCES worked to develop and grow programs and services to create additional revenue sources and help offset overall costs. Looking toward the future, he said BOCES plans to re-balance special education rates and the administrative budget; increase the focus on retiree health insurance spending; and work on additional growth and expansion to meet district needs and create additional revenue sources.

Reviewing next year’s proposed budget, Metzger said the proposed total administrative and retiree health budget has been calculated at $7,221,362, marking a 3.16% increase from the current budget. The total capital budget has been calculated at $1,444,930, indicating at 7.71% decrease from the current year. Overall, the total administrative and capital billings to  school districts has been calculated at $5,979,610, marking a 3.72% increase from the current year. Out of the total BOCES administrative and capital billings set aside for next year, Webutuck will be billed $99,252 for BOCES services, indicating a year-to-year increase of $940, or 0.96%

A component Boards of Education vote on the BOCES administrative budget and BOCES board members has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 28. All final service requests are due to BOCES by Monday, May 18.

Webutuck district 

budget, other projects

Though Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order to delay school budget votes until at least Monday, June 1, Webutuck Business Administrator Robert Farrier said he and Webutuck Superintendent of Schools Ray Castellani have continued to work on the school district budget for the 2020-21 school year.

Responding to BOE member Richard Keller-Coffey’s question about the financial impact of the coronavirus on the district’s expenses, Farrier said that, from a facilities perspective, the approximate savings on cleaning materials and products during a school closure have been estimated at about $2,500 since the schools closed. Including gas and maintenance costs, transportation savings have been estimated at about $5,600, though Farrier mentioned that the numbers were generic.

Farrier delivered an update from The Palombo Group and the district’s architect, Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers, on the sewer system component of the district’s capital improvement project. He reported that The Palombo Group has been out conducting a lot of site work to figure out why the district’s sewer system hasn’t been performing properly. 

Following a thorough investigation of the system’s components, Castellani reported that the district was in better shape than it was a month ago as far as improvements to its sewer system were concerned, though he noted that they aren’t out of the woods yet. Farrier added that the initial numbers the district received based on the initial scope of work were “tremendous.” Based on the current scope of work needed to improve the sewer system, he said the district could definitely resolve the problem and hopefully costs could come in under the budget, though he said the district will have a better sense of the scope of work after further discussion with the New York State Department of Health. 

As a result of the high winds on Monday, April 13, Castellani said there was a power outage in the district, leading to one of the refrigerators and freezers to lose power. In an effort to save the food stored in the unit for the “Feed our Families” program, he said Amenia town Supervisor Victoria Perotti, the Silo Ridge Field Club, The Palombo Group and Dutchess County Legislator Gregg Pulver (R-19) helped to secure a generator for the district.

Farrier added that all were all willing to provide generators, but right before they could, the power was restored. The BOE wanted to acknowledge, though, all of the community’s help during such times of need.