BY MICHELLE MILLER
STAFF WRITER
The first draft of the Cooperstown
Central School 2010-11
budget was unveiled at last
week’s board of education
meeting.
Presented as a PowerPoint
to the public, the proposed
budget shows a reduction
in five teaching positions,
elimination of junior varsity
football and junior varsity field
hockey, two modified basketball
coaches, an assistant
modified wresting coach, the
volleyball scorekeeper, summer
drivers’ education and
a handful of aides and other
district staff positions. With
the proposed cuts, the district
residents can still expect an
8.8 percent increase in their
taxes. Without the cuts, the
tax levy would go up about
13 to 14 percent, according to
board members.
Board of Education
President Anthony Scalici
told members of the public
that the board had not had
time to iron out any final
decisions, but had tried to get
the spending plan down to a
``manageable level.’’
``We all up here are very
first-hand aware of what our
decisions mean, and we feel
every bit as much pain and
discomfort in some of what
may have to happen as you
do,’’ said Scalici. ``We do not
do these things without
understanding and feeling the
same types of emotions and
so forth that go on with the
very difficult type of budget
action.’’
Another month is going to
pass before the district will
have a better idea of what the
revenue will look like, Scalici
added. He said the district
only has the governor’s original
plan, which is based on a
new calculation of state aid,
which ended up ``hammering’’
CCS. Scalici said the plan
factors in the state’s perception
of wealthy districts, and
Cooperstown is ``blessed’’
with being in that category.
Under the governor’s
proposed plan for reduction
in state aid, CCS is expected to
lose 13.6 percent in revenue.
Scalici suggested that
community members direct
some of their dissatisfaction
to the state as opposed to the
board because they control
revenues and the laws that
say what school boards can
and cannot do.
The proposed budget,
which includes these cuts, is
$16,252,158, a 1.79 percent
reduction compared to last
year’s budget.
Other areas the district
plans to examine include class
sizes in the elementary school,
high school enrichment
trends, athletics and extra
curricular reductions, network
systems purchases, buildings
and grounds, BOCES services,
and delaying purchases such
as a new bus.
Deb Miller, middle school
teacher, questioned why there
are plans to make cuts within
the technology program,
which serves to educate
and motivate a significant
group of the district’s diverse
student population through
a hands-on setting. She said
129 students have signed up
to take technology classes
next year. Enrollment does
not always show an accurate
number of students who are
interested and although there
are scheduling conflicts, there
are already a significant number
of students interested,
said Miller.
``Why cut technology when
the district asked teachers to
participate in the STEM partnership,’’
asked Miller. STEM
is a campaign initiative that
promotes science, technology,
engineering and math.
CCS offers four scholarships to
students that go toward vocational
training, so it does not
make sense to cut technology
and practical arts, said Miller.
The cuts are incongruous
with the board of education’s
commencement goal to have
students demonstrate a fundamental
understanding in
math, science and technology
and an ability to utilize the
facts, concepts, tools and skills
in problem solving, added
Miller.
Miller said with college
expenses on the rise, it is
reasonable to assume fewer
students will not be able to
afford that option straight
out of high school. She said
students will need the opportunity
to get skill-based
training for graduation credit
that will enable them to enter
employment after graduation,
whether to start a career or
support themselves through
college.
``Why cut curricular areas of
vocational training when they
are the springboard of filling
vital jobs here in our own
community?’’ said Miller.
The skills taught are vital
in life no matter what career
choice one chooses, said
Miller.
Ann Marie Bascio said she
knows the school board is facing
an almost impossible task
when dealing with this year’s
budget. However, she said as
a parent she is concerned that
the students are not going to
get the 21st century skills that
they will need.
Bascio said she thinks academics
should come before
sports. ``I’m sorry, but I feel we
are in a state of emergency
and at this point academics
must come first,’’ she said.
Bascio said it would be
sad not to see the young
new teachers, who she said
have added such life into the
school.
Bascio said she is also
concerned that if the district
does not maintain a ``decent
school’’ it will affect her as a
property owner. ``We need
this school as a community
and we need to focus on that,’’
said Bascio.
In an e-mail, Jay Baldo,
athletic coordinator, said staff
assessed football numbers for
JV and modified football from
the past season and didn’t
feel the district had enough
participation to run a program
this year. According to Baldo,
CCS only had three returning
legitimate JV players from last
year’s football squad.áHe said
the modified program had
12 eighth graders, but the
coaches believe they would
potentially see only about
half of those players come out
next year for J.V.
Baldo said he believes CCS
would have enough students
for a J.V. field hockey team
next year.
Peggy Quinn, special
education teacher, said she
has watched home economics
and other programs like
it cut and does not want to
see the trend continue. She
questioned how the distinct
will plan a student’s schedule
because some students already
have two or more study
halls each day. She asked if
the district would need to go
to an eight period day with
longer classes because she
believes cuts would lead to
more students placed in study
halls.
Barbara Cannon, special
education teacher, said she
has been having problems
sleeping because of the
uncertainties at the district.
She said it has been hard to
digest the happenings of the
past couple of weeks.
Cannon said the district’s
mission statement was written
clearly and thoughtfully,
but she believes it has been
clouded by the proposed
actions.
``These students, the tech
and business kids, their options
are seriously limited
with your proposed cuts,’’
said Cannon. ``Historically,
theses kids, their parents,
don’t generally attend these
meetings to voice their opinions.
They are voiceless.’’
Cannon said the proposals
will not allow students to acquire
the skills they will need
for continued growth.
Cannon said she is also
saddened by the proposal to
cut French, which she said
has been a pillar since its
beginning. She said thankfully
current students taking
the language will be able to
continue in their sequence.
The board of education
will hold a second presentation
of the 2010-11 budget
at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria on
Match 17.
The budget will be adopted
on April 7.
A hearing will take place
on May 5 and members of
the community will have the
chance to vote on Tuesday,
May 18 from 11 a.m. to 8
p.m. in the Sterling Auditorium.
