ACCORD – Last week, the Rondout Valley Central School District was one of only two in the entire region to have their proposed 2010-11 budget rejected by local residents. After a busy week of deliberation, Superintendent Rosario Agostaro presented a budget Tuesday night which will trim the previous 2.81% school property tax increase to a 0.03% reduction.

Mr. Agostaro, speaking earlier in the day, acknowledged the importance of addressing the voice of the community.

"I applaud the community for coming out and voting in greater numbers this year," said Agostaro, "and though it may be difficult, we going to offer a budget that has no tax increase."

The new proposition — known as the "B" budget — was, in fact, approved by the board later on. It represents a decrease of over $900,000 from last week's rejected proposal, and a more reasonable 2.14% increase over last year's budget.

This revised budget proposal — which comes to just over $60.1 million — will go to public vote on Tuesday, June 15. Agostaro stressed that, rather than wholesale cuts, he endeavored to make reductions that would allow programs to continue rather than being eliminated. Notable staffing cuts include the elimination of a part-time position in foreign language; in the meeting, Mr. Agostaro spoke about restructuring to make up for the loss, possibly having an instructor split time between the Elementary and upper schools. The new Grant Coordinator position, which has been the subject of much discussion in recent weeks, will also be reduced to a half-time rather than full-time job.

Additional cuts to make up the difference include less spending for staff conferences and travel, which will reduce the need for substitute teachers; spending will also be reduced for night school and afterschool programs, field trip expenses, and environmental science education.

Athletics, an important issue for many, will lose funding for its gymnastics program, and cheerleading club, if the proposed budget is passed. The board spent considerable time discussing these two programs at its earlier meeting, citing that, though any cuts are regrettable, both of these activities represent prohibitively high per-student costs, and low participation rates.

According to district rules, the board has one opportunity to present a revised budget, before moving on to the contingency budget of approximately $59 million. If the current offering is not accepted by the district, the significant reduction of the contingency budget may represent an additional elimination of 20-25 jobs, on top of the 15.2 already being recommended.

Responses from those attending the meeting Wednesday night were mixed. Vaughan Smith, of High Falls, and his wife Jacqueline Cohen, who have both been outspoken proponents of spending reductions and property tax relief, each spoke about their continuing concerns about spending in the face of both lower enrollment and challenging fiscal times. Representing the other point of view, Rondout teaching assistant Bob Sweeney spoke passionately about the value of Rondout Valley, and its staff, in his and his family's life, and of the necessity for residents to share in the responsibility to keep it going in these difficult times. Mr. Agostaro echoed Mr. Sweeney's sentiment, acknowledging his appreciation for a staff which he called "unique" and "passionate".

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More School Board News

The board approved New York State retirement incentives that are designed to reward teachers, and staff, who meet the new 55/25 retirement statutes. The incentives are: $7,500 for paraprofessional staff, $15,000 for secretarial staff, and $20,000 for teachers. To qualify, the staff member must meet the necessary criteria, and submit a retirement request to be effective by August 30, 2010.

Athletic Director, Michael Kroemer, took time to recognize Rondout Winter Athletes who achieved "Scholar Athlete" status — students who maintain a grade average of over 90 percent while participating in sports. Mr. Kroemer recognized over 20 students from the wrestling, skiing, and gymnastics teams. Several of the named students attended the meeting, and received rousing applause from the board and attendees.

Kerhonkson Assistant Principal Alan Baker gave a presentation on the upcoming DWI awareness week that will take place at the High School, scheduled to correspond with the Prom on June 4. A mock DWI fatality will be staged at the High School on the morning of June 1, with additional programs and support throughout the week on related subjects, such as text messaging while driving. There will also be a seminar for parents on Tuesday evening, June 5, at the High Falls firehouse. More details about the program can be found on the school website at www.rondout.k12.ny.us.