May 14, 2007

Reporting the meeting of May 7, 2007

 

Text Box: Calendar of Events Last Week: BH-BL School Budget – Jackie St. Onge Assist Super This Week: Club Awards Night Next Week: Coming Up: May 21 Club Projects Begin (No Meeting May 28) Coming Up: June 2 - Jenny Pennington Golf Classic (Rain Date June 9) June 3 – Founders Day Parade (Charlton) June 7 Ballston Flag Day Parade May 7 Meeting Attendance: Members 30, Guests 2, Spouses 1, Visiting Rotarians 1. Note: The regular meeting is now Monday evenings at The Sewell Room Invocation: George Bailey, Garry Morrow, Dan Stec or Bob Youmans Please give suggestions for future programs to Ron Serapilio
Text Box: May 7 Announcements
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


●       Ken Crotty played a video showing all the good the Rotary Foundation does.  Ken noted that we are still $2,300 short of our club goal. The Rotary year ends June 30.

●       John Fettke introduced his guest John Kelly.  John is webmaster for Charlton and is on the town’s Technology Committee.

●       Mark read thank you notes for our contributions to the Magic Maze and CHS.  CHS is holding a reception May 17 at 7PM.

●       Gini informed the group about a “Ride of Silence” (bicycles) on May 16, at 6:30 honoring cyclists killed or injured in collisions with automobiles.  It is a short, slow ride promoting safety awareness and mutual respect on the road.  This is a world wide event.  The local meeting place is St James Square, Niskayuna.  Point of contact: Sue Troll 782-4982, trollasko@aol.com. Also see www. rideofsilence.org.

●       Garry thanked all those that helped with GSE. Garry was also recognized for the tremendous effort and time he put into the project.

●       Val told us that some of the beds have already been mulched for TIB.  There will not be a Chili Dinner this year so donations are needed from club members.  Small donations are welcome and can be given either to Val or Mary.

●       Steve solicited volunteers for the Pennington Golf Classic on June 2 at Galway Golf Course.  Volunteers are still needed to help set up between 11:30 and 12:30.  Val, Mary, Chuck, Margaret, Paul, and Steve have already volunteered to form teams.

 

 

Text Box: BHBL School Budget  

 


Jackie St. Onge, Assistant Superintendent for Support Services, provided a Power Point presentation that covered: how the school budget is initially established, who participates, how much state aid we will be getting and how the formula has been modified and how the percentage of state aid in the budget is diminishing each year, what programmatic additions and cuts have been made within this years proposed budget, what the anticipated tax increase will be and what happens if the budget is voted down and the school has to implement a contingency budget.  

The theme the school district is using for this years budget is “An Investment in Value and the Future.”  Voting on the budget takes place May 15.  To do so you must own property within the school district and pay BH-BL Central School taxes.  The proposed budget for this year is $50,243,630.  The average tax increase to balance the budget is 5.3%.  The median value home in the school district cost $171,100.  A 5.3% increases on the median value house means the tax will go up $162 for a house costing that much.  This year, state aid is paying 37.5% of the overall district expenditures and local property taxes are funding 59.6%. The trend in recent years is for local property taxes to be picking up an increasing amount of the bill. This is exacerbated in our area because we have limited commercial property and low poverty rates.  A new slice of state aid called “Foundation Aid” was added this year by Governor Spitzer.  It added 3.8% in aid, $444,000.  Foundation Aid is computed on the level of poverty that exists in your district.  Our district received the smallest percentage Foundation Aid increase of all Capital Region school districts while some nearby high-need, high-poverty urban school are getting as much as $20 million.  However, with the increase, the school district is trying to improve services by hiring more full and part-time teachers and coaches. 

Several effective cost cutting measures were described.  The biggest cost increases are staff compensation, health insurance, pensions, heating and electricity, BOCES services and special education placements and debt services.  Transportation costs also went up 10.9%. 

Examples cited for the value we receive from BH-BL’s excellent programs are:  outstanding test scores, highest high school graduation rate in the Capital Region, 5th out of 85 Districts in the region (Capital Business Review), 32 College Courses, numerous music gold and silver awards, tremendous sports teams, and a recognized school district that increases property values.   If the budget gets voted down, a mandated contingency budget must be employed.  The owner of a median priced house in the district will have to pay taxes just $12 less than what the district’s proposed budget is, and numerous programs will be cut.   For further information, go to www.bhbl.org.  Please get out and vote on May 15 - 7AM-9PM, High School Gymnasium. 

                                                                        Steve

Serve With us. The World is Waiting