BROCTON - With the exception of Brocton Teachers Association President Deborah Lloyd Priest, none of the audience attending the Brocton budget workshop Thursday questioned proposed staff and program cuts.
Lloyd Priest called the cuts serious and significant. She asked to meet with the Brocton School Board in executive session to discuss alternative solutions. The board agreed to meet with her.
What had her concerned were what superintendent Jack Skahill called "possible reduction discussion items" the board asked him to develop.
This included reducing the teaching staff by five, thus increasing the faculty cuts to a total of 10.
At the previous budget workshop, Skahill said the school's retiring business education teacher and elementary teacher will not be replaced. Neither will the vacant Spanish teacher position. Positions held by an academic intervention service teacher and a teacher's aide will be eliminated as well.
At Thursday's budget workshop, Skahill the board was considering reducing five more teaching positions, three pupil personnel service positions, two non-teaching jobs and two contractual positions for a total of 12 more slots.
Also suggested was the closing of the school's swimming pool and the elimination of co-curricular positions and athletic expenditures.
These proposed cuts reduce expenditures by $611,863 with the possible budget's bottom line coming in at $14,348,352.
Skahill said with the anticipated $9,903,081 in revenues and $550,000 in reserve funds used to reduce taxes, the possible tax levy is $3,895,271
"All of this reflects a proposed budget that is $449,840 less than this year's budget but it will still see a tax rate increase of approximately 12 percent," he said.
Speaking out about this, were board members Harry Watters and David Hazelton.
Watters said he would not vote for a 12 percent tax increase and Hazelton said, "Our job is to educate our children. I won't cut teachers to preserve sports."
When Bill Westin asked how much was included in the proposed budget for pay raises, Skahill said negotiations with various groups will be held this coming year and he didn't want to discuss this.
Westin said he understood, but another audience member said perhaps the groups the school board would be negotiating with could accept no pay increase.
Skahill said under state law, this wasn't possible.
The board will hold another budget workshop on March 18, after the regular board meeting.