'Rock-and-Hard Place' Budget Frustrates Malverne Residents

Tuesday was Malverne Board of Education President Patrick Coonan's birthday.  It was also the day of the final meeting before the school board voted to adopt the 2011-2012 budget for the district and he felt the heat from a number of unsatisfied residents.

The meeting started out calm, as the board recognized recent student successes including the 2011 valedictorian and salutatorian, the cheerleading, basketball and robotics teams and the eighth grade science research class. Then they proceeded with the rest of the night's agenda, moving on to the new budget.

Superintendent Hunderfund introduced the presentation by openly admitting it was not the favorable budget they hoped it would be.  He was especially frustrated over government reorganization of Academic Intervention Service (AIS) programs.

"The state re-calibrated the cut point for testing," he said. "Did the kids get dumber? Did the teachers get worse? No, but we still have a 500 percent increase in kids needing it...It's an unfunded mandate, we have to do it and we get no money to do it."

Business Administrator Thomas McDaid presented a brief overview  of the revised budget.  The original draft called for a 3.89 percent budget-to-budget increase, but was revised to be 3.26 percent.

The largest funding increases were:

General Support: $711,568

Employee Benefits: $1,308,398

Debt Service: $379,999

The main decreases were:

Instruction: $625,902

Transportation: $233,017

Interfund Transfer: $44,000

It also included the following personnel cuts:

21 full time teachers

2 teacher assistants

2 administrators

2 security positions

2 custodial positions

3 clerical positions

These cuts and decreases are becoming more and more common across the state, with lower funding for schools. When cutting faculty, all districts must abide by the "last hired, first fired" principle.  Since personnel make up about 80 percent of the district's expenses, the board said the district was not able to avoid cuts in those departments, a decision that fired up residents at the meeting.

It was the decrease in instruction that was the main worry for residents.  Board President Coonan broke protocol by calling for comments right after the budget presentation rather than waiting for the end of the meeting.  Before comments, Coonan attempted to explain the board's decisions to the unforgiving audience.

"We say it's a doom and gloom budget, but we have a responsibility…It's a very fine line we walk.  On our right hand, we have the quality of [our schools]. On the left, we have the cost of that quality," he said.  "If we don't take personnel out, the budget would increase by 13.5 percent, and no one's paying that."

"The state may loosen restrictions on reserves, which would allow us to tap into them," said Board Member Gina Genti. 

"The governor is encouraging us to tap into those reserves, but eventually those reserves will be gone. We won't have that rainy day fund to use like when that heating pipe burst."

"Most of us have a savings account for the what-ifs, but it's not in the budget to do that," added Coonan.

High school class president Francina Smith spoke along with several other students in opposition to the laying off of one of their teachers. 

"We commend all the students on making us aware of your concerns as mature young men and women," responded Hunderfund. "We are moving forward with this budget, but we are not necessarily moving forward with the decisions of who goes. A lot of students and parents are upset about this, and it hurts us to think about it." 

"I am extremely proud of the special education department," said Denise Douglas, President of SEPTA. 

"I know of a child in this district who is a low-functioning autistic child.  Two years ago, the parent of that child considered taking him out because [Malverne school district] may not have been able to support his needs," Douglas explained. "The parent decided to stay because their teacher was gold.  The child was able to learn math…and has his first friend."

"The district let me leave and go to Rockville Centre…it was a horrible experience, despite their great reputation," said resident Kathleen Gillis."That's how great Malverne's special ed program is.  I've come back, and I'm saving you a lot of money!"

The crowd grew more and more vocal as the commentary continued, especially during Malvernite Donald Pupke's comments, where Coonan attempted to quiet the crowd several times.

"You're having a budget meeting on the very night you're approving the budget," said Pupke. "That doesn't allow nearly enough time to reflect or reasonably absorb all the public has said…and unless people filed for a Freedom of Information Act there was no way for them to get a copy of the revenue side of the budget until they walked in the door tonight.

"You chose to fire a Kindergarten teacher and pay your lawyers," continued Pupke, an attorney himself.  "Why not ask them to take a cut…why not lay off one of your hundred-thousand dollar plus administrators and keep a few teachers?"

After the applause had subsided, Coonan explained that expenses that seemed frivolous, like legal fees and publicity, encompassed much more than paying off unnecessary lawyer fees and advertising, like the almost 40 legal cases the district faces every year.  The residents refused to let the board off the hook, however.

"Are entertainment and advertising more valuable than teachers?" pleaded Jacqueline Wilson, a 45-year-resident.  "Periodicals and advertisements can be emailed.  You're cutting valuable teachers…who help diversify the community. I see no diversity here."

The board tried to clarify that although the budget calls for 21 full-time equivalent teaching positions to be eliminated, that does not necessarily mean 21 teachers will be laid off.  Those who retire, are fired for good, or take leaves of absence are included in that 21.  For example, if five teachers retire, then five fewer teachers will be laid off and the number is reduced to 16.  The more people who leave on their own terms, the less there are that would be laid off.

"We hear you," said Coonan before ending the meeting. "You may not think so, but we do."

To view the board's budget presentation, click here.