BY MICHELLE MILLER
STAFF WRITER
Members of the Cooperstown Board
of Education will be hosting a ‘’You
Have Our Ear’’ meeting before the
regular meeting when they intend to
adopt the 2010-11 proposed budget.
The board members are inviting district
residents, teachers, staff, parents
and students to discuss their questions
and concerns regarding budget
cuts. The meeting is scheduled to
take place at 6:15 in the Mille/High
School cafeteria on Wednesday, April
7, before the board meeting, which
is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the
same location.
During the second presentation of
the 2010-11 budget, McPhail said a
few revisions have been made reducing
the overall budget by 2.75 percent,
from $16,252,158 to $16,093,415.
The new proposed budget total shows
a reduction of $158,743 compared
to the first proposed draft, which
showed 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.
According to McPhail, the additional
reductions made include the
elimination of JV baseball due to lack
of enrollment, a series of extra curricular
advisors that will not impact
the current offerings and removing
the purchase of a bus to a separate
proposition that will be voted on by
the public during the same time as
the proposed budget. McPhail said
board members decided not to rejoin
the New York State School Board Association,
so the district will no longer
have to pay the dues for that. Salary
adjustments have also been made to
accommodate a retirement and a staff
member who will be remaining, said
McPhail.
The technology program was given
another look and McPhail said a decision
was made to continue to offer the
three most popular courses based on
enrollment on a part-time basis.
The changes will reduce the projected
tax increase to approximately
7.2 percent, according to McPhail.
