OSWEGO, NY – More than two dozen cuts loom in the tentative 2016-17 Oswego City School District budget, Superintendent Dr. Dean Goewey told the school board Tuesday night.
“We want to build a revenue based budget on the money that is coming into the district,” he said.
The gap was originally $5.6 million. It shrunk to $4.9 million last month. Now it’s less than $1 million – but at a cost.
Dr. Goewey presented the board an overview of the budget process up to work done earlier Tuesday.
On Feb. 8 the revenue projection was $77,763,939.
The full restoration of the Gap Elimination Adjustment would add $516,916.
The goal is a 2% tax levy increase, which would generate $563,397, the superintendent said.
“So, our projected revenue right now (as of March 1) is $78,844,252. That has not changed,” he said.
Expenses as of Feb. 8 were $82,734,860.
“At our last meeting, I reported some initial reductions that were done by departments, Central Office, principals … we generated an initial pocket of reductions. There were 10 instructional FTEs (full-time employment) – $618,877. There were 13 support staff FTEs reductions – $459,129. There were extra comp positions in the amount of $260,078 and the fringe benefits ($350,362) associated with those 13 FTEs,” he said. “Total payroll and benefit reductions reported at the last meeting was $1,688,446.”
$250,000 was cut out of athletics.
Dr. Goewey was also exploring ways to save $2,000,000 on health insurance. However, Tuesday night he noted that work on this is ongoing and will move forward, but might not provide any relief for the upcoming budget.
“The clock is ticking,” he said. “I determined yesterday that we really need to move forward and stay true to our budget calendar. We’re not going to get to a place in the next four weeks where we’re going to get to enjoy those savings. As much as I am confident that we’re going to move forward in those negotiations, I am very hopeful that those savings will come into our district over the next weeks and months, we have to do some additional work to get to that point where that gap is eliminated.”
It isn’t a lost cause but time isn’t on the district’s side, he explained.
However, due to that, the projected expense jumped to $80,796,414, the superintendent said. That’s up $2 million from his last budget presentation.
They have come up with some more cuts “that will be painful but completely necessary” to balance the budget, he said.
A mandatory teacher of the blind ($60,000) was added to the budget. Also added was an ESL teacher ($60,000), an additional $250,000 to provide steps associated with collective bargaining and another $36,000 for the associated fringe benefits.
The additions total $406,000 for a projected expense of $81,202,414.
The additional proposed reductions include 14 more instructional FTEs ($87,440), three more support staff FTEs ($35,361), fringe benefits ($261,432), and some other reductions ($240,200). That comes to another $1,408,433 in reductions.
These largely come from the secondary program; the previous reductions largely came from the elementary program, the superintendent explained.
“Our goal is to keep reductions as far away from the kids as we can,” Dr. Goewey said.
Revenue projections are $78,844,252.
Expense projections are $79,793,981.
That leaves a gap of $949,729.
“We had hoped not to go this deep. But we had to go this deep, we had a responsibility to balance our budget and present it to the public,” Dr. Goewey said. “The deeper we go, the more painful it gets. And the closer it gets to students and programs.”
“How much more can we go” asked board member Sam Tripp.
“It’s a situation where you continually wring out the towel and eventually it stops dripping,” the superintendent replied.
“Are all of the bargaining units aware of this?” asked board member Tom DeCastro.
They all are and have been participating in the budget process, the superintendent said.
Over the last five years the district has spent down its fund balance and reserves by $12 million, the district’s business manager pointed out. There is about $5 million left and according to the state comptroller’s report, Oswego is a district susceptible to financial stress, she added.
That’s why they have to build a revenue based budget, Dr. Goewey said, adding “We have nothing more than what we have.”
Even if they eliminate the gap this year, they have to start worrying about how to reduce (2017-18) budget by an additional $4 million, he added.
“We need the help of every single employee in the district,” Tripp said.
Everyone is pitching in, Dr. Goewey said.
“Nothing we did today made any of us happy. But, we’re realists,” he said.
Dr. Goewey will provide further details at the next board meeting.
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How about closing a building – number of students in the district is constantly on the decline. It was necessary during the construction of the nuclear plants for 5 elementary schools – is it necessary today? More and more children are leaving the district for private schools in Syracuse – mine included. Tired of the enrollment decreasing and the cost to educate a student increasing – there is a problem there.
Shut down a school – look at the enrollment – it is not necessary for there to be this many elementary schools. How many kids are in each building? This was brought up before and shot down due to fear of the parents – please look at it again. You should be fearing the kids leaving the district. Lower enrollment means less funding from the state.
Still live in the district, still pay taxes in the district – children are educated outside of the district due to the poor graduation numbers.
“The goal is a 2% tax levy increase”
These people have got to be kidding…
VOTE NO!!!!!
The CONTRACTS expire this year. We need to start taking away these overly generous salaries and benefits! Extend the teachers work day to 6 periods per day! Right now they work 200 minutes per day for salaries averaging $70,000+ dollars. Unbelievable!
Who else in the world besides OCTA’s teachers gets these kinds of health benefits?
Remember they have had a 22% raise two contracts ago, the current contract carries an 8% raise, who else in the world has their salaries grow like this? And subsidized by the taxpayers to boot!
The tax increases are outrageous after 10% last year and 4% the year before. VOTE in May people!
Amen Mark…my “no” vote is at the ready! Any school tax increase right now after the recent water/sewer rate hikes will literally force people into financial starvation! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
Close Minetto. Go back to making kids walk that live within 1/2 mile of school. (in Syracuse it’s 1.5 miles) In the late1970’s there were about 1900 of us in the High School….just read that that number is now 870???? How much staff is there???
Can’t close an elementary school as a board member’s grandkid would lose her job. Better for taxpayers to pay more than laying off a granddaughter.
This is not a good situation for anyone but let me clear up a few misconceptions from Mark:
1. Teachers work considerably more than 200 minutes per day. Just like teachers work more than 188 days per year. The job goes into the evenings, through the weekends and summers. Teaching is NOT just the time in front of students. That is a fraction of the job.
2. There was not a 22% salary increase. Ever.
3. There is not an 8% raise currently.
4. There is way more than 870 students at the high school.
5. Steven, your “granddaughter” comment is not helpful. It is inflammatory and is toxic to the discussion.
That being said, closing a school would be a smart consideration but not might not save as much as you think. There are significant costs in closing a school.
The contract approved for the 2006-2011 time period had a 4% raise each year for 5 years. Compounded, this is a 21.665% raise. Sorry, I rounded up. So no, there was never a contract with a 22% raise but there was one with a 21.665% raise. Don’t believe it? Here is the link https://oswegocountytoday.com/school-board-approves-contract-with-teachers-union/
The contract approved for the 2012-2016 time period contained a 1.75% raise for the first year and 2% for the next 3 years. Again, compounded, a 7.98% raise. Again, don’t believe me, see this link
https://oswegocountytoday.com/oswego-school-board-approves-contract-extension-with-teachers-union/
When you compound the percentage raises over the last 10 years our OCTA teachers have walked away with 31.4% worth of increases all at the expense of the taxpayers. Again, my original question persists, what kinds of middle class private sector jobs have offered this? If I get a raise, my performance must be stellar (our teachers’ isn’t – look at the failing test scores and graduation rates for Oswego), or I must take on considerably more responsibility (I think our teachers are still working the same 5 periods per day they have always worked), How can this kind of raise be justified as being anywhere close to being deserved? The taxpayers can no longer afford it and the gravy train must be cut off.
The granddaughter comment from Steven was valid. Nepotism prevails in OCSD. A “play therapist” job was CREATED for this girl.
As for how hard the teachers work, I hear that yesterday’s “Superintendent’s Conference Day” (whatever that means) might as well have been held at the Press Box because that is where several of our OCTA members were in the middle of their “work” day. It must be that they still get “planning” periods in the midst of “conferencing” with the superintendent. Whatever. And I know they don’t work 188 days per year. The school year is 180 and they get 5 personal and 10 sick days and countless half days. They don’t work 188 days – they work considerably LESS!!!!!!!!! What other job in the world allows you to call in sick 5.55% of the time?
Ooooo math. Compounding interest is fun. You can also look at average increases. Which for the past ten years was a little over 2.5 %. The rate of inflation ran just under 2%. This factors in the voluntary pay freeze that you leave out of your analysis. As for people going to eat at the Press Box, I didn’t realize private sector employees were not allowed lunch breaks. Local eateries probably should not open for lunch knowing this.
By this math, I would like to note that minimum wage earners had the same exact raise in a TWO-year period during the same time. And these positions don’t require 5+ years of college and required continued education for the rest of your career. It is also noteworthy that most other professional positions enjoyed a LARGER raise over the same period.
The heart of the matter is that a certain segment of our population doesn’t consider educators in the same light as other professional positions. It is still the “180 days a year, summers off” mentality. If a student fails, it is not 1) that the state test asked things not in the curriculum or 2) that the parents let their 8-year old watch television until 4am and have Doritos and Sprite for breakfast while they’re cooking up meth. It’s the teachers! I love the “Press Box” comment. I guess teachers gotta brown-bag it!
Teachers continue to earn less than other professional positions while still requiring the same or similar education and same or similiar hours (It is true. I’ve lived it. Ask my wife and child)