2009-2010 Budget

Budget Review: BOCES, co-curricular activities & athletics

Feb. 25, 2009

The Mohonasen budget review process continued on Monday, Feb. 23 when Assistant Superintendent for Business Denise Swezey presented three more parts of the preliminary 2009-2010 district budget: BOCES, co-curricular activities and interscholastic athletics. See PowerPoint Presentation (PDF).

BOCES – the Board of Cooperative Educational Services – was created in 1948 by the state to encourage school districts to pool and share resources. Mohonasen is one of the many component districts that make up Capital Region BOCES. It is through its participation with BOCES programs and services that Mohonasen is able to share resources with other districts and obtain economies of scale. In other words, without its participation with BOCES, Mohonasen would be paying much more than it currently does for certain services – including special education, data processing, printing, communications, etc.
Additionally, Mohonasen receives 74.5 percent state BOCES Aid on most BOCES services it contracts for.

Note: Please keep in mind that these are only preliminary budget numbers, which could change between now and when the board of education adopts the final budget in April.

Swezey presented the following budget numbers relating to BOCES.

Expenditures	Acct.	2008-09 Budget	2009-10 Budget	Incr./Decr.
Board of Education	A1010	-	$2,300	$2,300
Personnel Serv. Bus. Admin	A1430	$9,090	$9,090	-
Records Management	A1460	-	$2,500	$2,500
Editor Public Information	A1480	$141,372	$155,000	$13,628
Printing - Public Information	A1480	$56,835	$52,985	$(3,850)
Central Services - Nat'l Gas	A1620	$3,120	$3,120	-
Central Data Processing	A1680	$162,216	$189,000	$26,784
Administrative Charges	A1981	$308,000	$316,130	$8,130
Substitute Calling Service	A2020	$28,000	$29,500	$1,500
Regional Planning Admin/Curriculum	A2060	$120,835	$122,500	$1,665
Inservice Education/Instruction	A2070	$50,000	$40,000	$(10,000)
Teaching Regular School	A2110	$151,400	$160,000	$8,600
Parochial Textbooks	A2110	$15,000	$13,000	$(2,000)
Handicapped Placements	A2250	$1,352,050	$1,120,000	$(232,050)
Vocational Education	A2280	$606,900	$627,000	$20,100
Adult Education	A2330	$11,000	$9,500	$(1,500)
Instructional Madia	A2610	$62,593	$78,250	$15,657
Computer Assist.	A2630	$269,200	$230,000	$(39,200)
Pupil Transportation	A5510	$500	$500	-
		$3,348,111	$3,158,076
		Subtotal Increase/Decrease		$(190,035)

One resident in the audience asked about the Central Data Processing line and why it was increasing more than $26,000. Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring responded that this increase is mostly related to the BOCES nySTART data processing system, which essentially serves as a data clearinghouse between school districts and the state education department. As standardized testing and performance data become more important, thanks to the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, this service has become more and more expansive.

Spring also noted that the district’s Internet server is now through BOCES, rather than in house.

Swezey noted that most of the decreases in the district’s BOCES budget have to do with special education costs. It is much more economical to serve special education students through BOCES, she noted, however, costs are declining for next year because three students currently serviced through BOCES are graduating.

Swezey presented the following budget numbers relating to co-curricular activities. She noted that because the district is currently in contract negotiations with the teachers union, some of these numbers could change between now and when the final budget proposal is adopted by the board of education.
Co-curricular refers to expenditures related to student clubs, class organizations and other extra-curricular activities.

Expenditures	Acct.	2008-09 Budget	2009-10 Budget	Incr./Decr.
Co-Curricular Activities	A2850
Salaries - Chaperoning	.140	$6,050	$6,482	$432
Salaries - Advisors	.150	$66,709	$66,709	-
Salaries - Co Curr - Band	.150	$29,004	$29,004	-
Salaries - Supervision	.152	$86,578	$108,314	$21,736
Other Expenses	.400	$3,500	$3,500	-
Supplies	.450	$3,000	$3,000	-
		$194,841	$217,009
		Subtotal Increase/Decrease		$22,168

Swezey pointed out that the more than $21,000 increase in the line for Salaries-Supervision is due to two things: homebound tutoring, which is essentially tutors for two hours a day for students who have been suspended (as required by law); and additional supervision in the mornings at Mohonasen High School for the parking lot and cafeteria.

The next part of the budget review session was devoted to interscholastic athletics. In this area, Swezey and Athletic Director Joseph Scalise pointed out, Mohonasen – with the help of the Suburban Council and the state – is being pro-active in many ways. The end result of this is an almost $16,000 decrease in the athletics budget for next year.

Probably the largest change students and parents will see next year with regards to athletics will be a decrease in the number of contests permitted during the regular season. Statewide – upon recommendations from the state public high school athletics association – teams that normally play 24 games will play 20, those that normally play 20 will play 18 and those that normally play 18 will play 16. Additionally, the regular wrestling season will be reduced by one tournament.

This change has resulted in decreases in the athletics budget as well as the transportation budget.

The following numbers were presented from the athletics budget.

Expenditures	Acct.	2008-09 Budget	2009-10 Budget	Incr./Decr.
Interscholastic Athletics	A2855
Supervision Salaries	.140	$20,550	$15,824	$(4,727)
Coaching Salaries	.150	$296,4950	$303,550	$7,055
Administrative Salary	.151	$39,375	$39,375	-
Athletic Trainer	.153	$17,701	$18,321	$620
Equipment	.200	$3,000	$8,000	$5,000
Ticket Sales	.401	$500	$500	-
Conference & Travel	.406	$2,500	$2,500	-
Dues & Fees	.407	$22,100	$20,450	$(1,650)
Equipment Inspection	.408	$4,500	$1,500	$(3,000)
Officials	.412	$40,744	$37,741	$(3,003)
Reconditioning	.413	$11,500	$11,300	$(200)
Security	.414	$5,400	$4,800	$(600)
Supplies/Uniforms	.450	$41,250	$25,850	$(15,400)
Awards	.459	$5,750	$5,700	$(50)
		$511,366	$495,411
		Subtotal Increase/Decrease		$(15,955)

Swezey noted that the increase in the equipment budget has to do with the purchase of some weight building equipment for the high school weight room and a portable basketball basket for Bradt Primary School. Additionally, the decrease in the equipment inspection line has to do with the fact that having the weight room equipment inspected on an annual basis is not as costly as was originally expected.

The significant decrease in supplies and uniforms, Scalise noted, is because coaches are doing a better job keeping track of uniforms and making sure they are all returned at the end of each season. For this reason, he said, he’s been able to alter the uniform replacement schedule.

Scalise also noted that additional transportation costs are being saved thanks to more efficient scheduling of games. Within the Suburban Council, Scalise said a significant effort has been made to try and have the same schools play each other in as many games/matches as possible on the same day, allowing more teams to share buses to away games.

At the conclusion of the presentation, Swezey reminded the audience that the deadline for seniors to apply for the Senior Citizen’s Exemption and Enhanced STAR Program is March 1. Learn more about these important exemptions.

The next budget review session, scheduled for March 9 at 6 p.m. in the Farnsworth Technology Center, will cover the special education budget. Two weeks after that on March 23 at 6 p.m., the staffing and employee benefits section of the budget will be presented. Please note that this is a change from the original Budget Development Timeline. Swezey said that by waiting the extra weeks she hopes the district will have more information about the state budget and the federal stimulus package.

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