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Reigning in School Budget: An Open Letter to the Board of Education
January 9, 2010
Members of the Board of Education:
In response to our Board of Education President’s call for input regarding the school budget, we write to you now, not having the leisure to wait until “budget season” or informal coffees in the Spring. We call on you to act now.
We are critically aware of the impending tenure for certain Administrators this calendar year. In fact, it appears that in the days ahead, if action is not taken, a top Administrator will gain tenure.
Without commenting on the merits of tenure for any individual Administrator, but merely recognizing the significantly high cost of tenure for the highest salaried employees in our District, we call upon you to be be fiscally responsible and to freeze any tenure for any non-instructional employee in our District through the end of the 2010-2011 school year.
In line with the major step toward pension reform taken last month by the New York State Legislature which increases from five years to ten years the eligibility of certain State employees for pension, where the sponsors cited “the impact of the global recession” on our local economy, we are calling upon you to take immediate action to reduce spending and stem the tide in our District.
Further, we urge you to act immediately, pursuant to the Hastings-on-Hudson School District Policy, section 6213, and New York State Education Law, section 3031, and notify non-instructional employees of this critical cost saving measure.
It is reasonable and prudent for the Board of Education to take immediate measures to address budget constraints, for to wait, the long term effects of such inaction would be irreversible. The freeze on tenure for non-instructional employees needs to be implemented at the next Board meeting, on January 11, 2009. A tenure freeze at this time is particularly prudent, given that the Board is currently aware that there will be a reduction, possibly a dramatic cut, in the amount of state aid our District will receive.
Members of the Board of Education:
In response to our Board of Education President’s call for input regarding the school budget, we write to you now, not having the leisure to wait until “budget season” or informal coffees in the Spring. We call on you to act now.
We are critically aware of the impending tenure for certain Administrators this calendar year. In fact, it appears that in the days ahead, if action is not taken, a top Administrator will gain tenure.
Without commenting on the merits of tenure for any individual Administrator, but merely recognizing the significantly high cost of tenure for the highest salaried employees in our District, we call upon you to be be fiscally responsible and to freeze any tenure for any non-instructional employee in our District through the end of the 2010-2011 school year.
In line with the major step toward pension reform taken last month by the New York State Legislature which increases from five years to ten years the eligibility of certain State employees for pension, where the sponsors cited “the impact of the global recession” on our local economy, we are calling upon you to take immediate action to reduce spending and stem the tide in our District.
Further, we urge you to act immediately, pursuant to the Hastings-on-Hudson School District Policy, section 6213, and New York State Education Law, section 3031, and notify non-instructional employees of this critical cost saving measure.
It is reasonable and prudent for the Board of Education to take immediate measures to address budget constraints, for to wait, the long term effects of such inaction would be irreversible. The freeze on tenure for non-instructional employees needs to be implemented at the next Board meeting, on January 11, 2009. A tenure freeze at this time is particularly prudent, given that the Board is currently aware that there will be a reduction, possibly a dramatic cut, in the amount of state aid our District will receive.
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