By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer
The Cooperstown Board of Education
held its first public forum
on the 2010-11 school year budget
on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
The object of the meeting was
to have community members
share their concerns and express
their priorities as to where their
tax dollars are being spent. Instead
of giving a presentation,
board members opened the meeting
up to the public to share their
thoughts and ideas.
Board member David Borgstrom
said the goal was to hear
what people are willing to give up
that would make a significant impact
in the budget.
``As a board member I want to
hear what people are willing to
give up or what they are willing
to trade off,’’ he said during the
forum. ``We all want everything
for our kids. We want all of our
kids to have small classes, for our
kids to have all these enrichment
programs, we want everything
for every kid
that is here.
The fact of the
matter is that
we try to balance
giving all
that we can by
being fiscally
responsible.
And significant
cuts in the budget
will require
significant sacrifices. And I think
one of the reasons we are here is
to hear people say what they are
willing to support to make significant
changes.’’
In April, the board of education
adopted its current budget,
with total spending of more than
$16.5 million — an almost 2 percent
decrease compared to the
2008-09 budget.
According to a handout passed
out to those attending the forum,
budget expenditures are divided
into three categories— capital,
administrative and program components.
The program component
makes up the majority of the budget
expenditures at 73 percent
while the capital
component
makes up 17
percent and
the administrative
component
makes up
10 percent.
Community
member Catherine
Ellsworth
said the
only way to make a major dent in
the budget is to cut personnel and
have larger class sizes.
``There is no other way to look
at it,’’ she said.
Ellsworth said there are
not 20 students in any elementary
class this year.
``Those of us who sent
our children through this
elementary school with 26
to 28 kids in a class don’t
understand the desire and
need to have 15, ‘’ she said.
``The kids were no smaller
then, they fit in the classrooms
just fine when there
was 26 to 28 in a class.’’
Ellsworth said she is incredulous
that people don’t
feel there could be 20 students
in a class. She said
she thinks each class could
fit anywhere from 20 to 25
students.
According to Superintendent
Mary Joe McPhail,
the district has looked into
the effectiveness of small
class sizes. In order to have
significant academic
achievement, research
shows class sizes need to
have less than 15 students,
said McPhail.
Board president Anthony
Scalici said parents of
elementary students have
been able to enjoy the luxuries
of having their children
in small classes because
there was a period of
time where a number of
things such as health insurance
costs, salaries and
mandates were necessary
for academic success, where
others feel it is not vital to
keep class sizes quite so
small.
`` We try to balance interests,’’
said Scalici.
``When we look at it from a
perspective of education if
we can we will keep classes
smaller. And when it gets
to the point where something
needs to go that’s an
area that has to be looked
at again as well as how
many accelerated classes
or how many extra classes
we are providing.’’
Since the 2002-03 school
year, an equivalent of 16
faculty and staff eliminations
has taken place, while
about four have been created,
according to a handout
from the board of education.
One position eliminated
was a principal of special
programs that the district
had several years ago, according
to McPhail. That
position had been created
for former middle school
principal David Pearlman
when he returned to work
following a leave of absence.
The position was
dropped when
Pearlman left the district.
Student enrollment
in 2002-03 was at 1,198
and this year enrollment is
at 988 students.
Community member Ed
Johnson said he believes
too much funding is going
towards the athletic department.
He said he believes
the approximately
2.5 percent of funding
shown in the budget for
athletics is misleading and
would like to see the expenses
subdivided in the
budget newsletter.
``In these decreased employments,
and decreased
activities of personnel and
other things that
you are working
with I see absolutely
no decrease
in athletic programs,’’
he said.
``I only see increases
in the
number of athletic
programs, increases
in the aid
set aside for these
programs and
there is no mention
at all about
giving any
thought pattern
of athletics.’’
Johnson said
he does not believe athletics
is the main function of
the school system. He said,
``The main function is
teaching and I want to see
more information on this.’’
Scalici said every year
there is discussion about
athletics. He said there are
high participation rates in
athletics and he doesn’t
know of any sports program
that is not valued.
``Athletics is not just going
out and playing a
sport,’’ said Scalici. ``Being
a part of a team goes far beyond
hitting a ball or running
around a track.’’
However, Scalici said if
there is a given time where
a particular sport cannot
be fielded, it will be eliminated.
Johnson
said he agreed
that athletics
can be of good
value to students.
However,
he said he
thinks the district
could
have wonderful
team players
and interactivity
of
sports within
the population
of the school
without being
a ``district
number one of this or
that.’’
Johnson said he did not
think enough publicity has
been given to academics
and visitors of the village
should not see signs demonstrating
athletic success,
but should see evidence of
academic success.
`` For the population of
this school, in my opinion,
the athletic program is
quite a bit out of control,’’
said Johnson.
``The school system, and
we are only a small clog of
it, in this country is going
down hill,’’ added Johnson.
Student Sarah Polus
said she is a straight A student
and is a very active
athlete at CCS. She said
she would hate to see athletics
cut not only because
she enjoys the opportunity
to be a part of a team but
because playing a sport can
help when trying to get into
a college.
``I think you should take
into consideration the positives,
not so much on the
negatives,’’ said Polus.
Ellsworth said she hates
to see winners and losers.
She said she would like to
see the district take away
from everyone in order to
reach budget goals.
``I would like to see a
little bit of give all the way
around so we don’t have
winners and losers,’’ she
said.
Community member
Rick Hulse Sr. said he has
been warning board members
about major changes
and trends for years. It is
too late to go back and
change things, but the
board needs to be proactive
not reactive, said Hulse.
``The Upstate New York
Region in many cases is a
natural disaster area,’’ said
Hulse. ``Yet here we sit
with a budget that was 10
million 10 years ago and
16.5 now.’’
Hulse said not only does
the district have to contend
with cuts, but the state is
asking for another 3 percent
in employment retirement
costs.
``I will go on the record
by saying the state will
mandate mergers. The
state will close small districts,’’
said Hulse.
Hulse said he does not
believe the district prepared
for the future.
He said, ``the bottom
line is I think we need to be
realistic about where we
are and I don’t think the
board has been. Now you
are not only behind just
one eight-ball you are behind
three.’’
Hulse said CCS has to
look for a new superintendent
and negotiate a service
union contract and a
teacher/staff contract.
``I am worried,’’ said
Hulse. ``Do you blame me
for being worried?’’
