Schools
Line by Line Lost in Translation for Taxpayers at School Budget Workshop
For folks who sat in on the school budget work session last night, there were more questions than answers.
There will be a salary cap for the yet-to-be-named schools superintendent who will replace interim Thomas Elliott, and high-ranking administrators won't get raises next year.
Those were the highlights among the few specifics Port Chester's Board of Education touched on Thursday night during a line-item budget meeting.
For months, taxpayers and parents have been waiting for details on the promised cuts to the proposed $79.9 million spending plan.
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On Thursday night, the handful of residents who showed up didn't get many answers. A barebones summary released in lieu of a line-item budget was dated March 7 -- a month ago -- and there were few new details. Questions on specifics, like which programs or staff positions will be cut, have yet to be answered.
Board of Education President Jim Taylor announced at the beginning of last night’s meeting that the get-together was a work session between Assistant Superintendents Maura McAward and Frank Fanelli and the rest of the school board, rather than a public hearing with opportunity for open comments.
Find out what's happening in Port Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Confusion over financial jargon and was palpable, as nobody seemed to be following along with the lengthy pamphlet handed out detailing the proposed budget. In fact, each person sitting in the audience seemed to be on an entirely different page from the person sitting next to them.
But economic times are tight, and homeowners decided to stick around because they are looking for answers to complicated questions the school board has yet to answer.
“Our taxes keep going up and it’s coming to the point where it’s impossible to keep a house here. Where is [our money] going?” asked Port Chester resident Stephanie Pheliughi.
A few adjustment cuts seem to have been decided already. For one, the Superintendent of Schools who will be taking over Dr. Thomas Elliott’s position come July 1 will make $30,000 less than his full-time predecessor, Donald Carlisle. The new hire will receive $220,000, down from the $250,000 paid to Carlisle and the $120,000 paid to interim Thomas Elliott, whose contract expires in June.
In addition, Assistant Superintendents Maura McAward and Frank Fanelli will not receive raises. Taxpayers say that's not enough.
“I can barely afford to live here,” said resident Sylvia DeGiacomo.
The next steps: a budget adoption meeting slated for April 14, followed by another budget hearing on May 6 before voters head to the polls on May 17.
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