Background
Section 10-d of part A of chapter 56 of the laws of 2021, as amended by §5-b of part A of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, requires school districts receiving a foundation aid increase of more than 10% or $10,000,000 to create plans on how these funds will be used to address student performance and need. These plans are required in advance of the 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 school years. This is the final year that this requirement is in effect. Plans for the 2023-24 school year must be completed, submitted to the New York State Education Department, and posted to district websites by July 1, 2023.
Each district subject to this requirement is required to:
- Seek public comment from parents, teachers, and other stakeholders;
- Take public comments into account in the development of the plan;
- Include an analysis of public comments within the plan;
- Describe in the plan how the foundation aid increase will be used, including portions of the increase used to address the priority areas identified by law;
- Post the plan on the district website; and
- Submit the plan to the State Education Department in a form prescribed by the Department to be posted publicly.
Plans are required to cover only the foundation aid increase. The plan should not cover how the district intends to use its entire foundation aid amount. Describe in the plan how the foundation aid increase will be used, along with key goals, metrics, or ratios, and the community feedback reflected for portions of the increase used to address any of the following priority areas, as well as any additional areas identified by the district:
- Increasing graduation rates and eliminating the achievement gap;
- Reducing class sizes;
- Providing supports for students who are not meeting, or at risk of not meeting, state learning standards in core academic subject areas;
- Addressing student social-emotional health;
- Providing adequate resources to English language learners, students with disabilities; and students experiencing homelessness.
Use of Foundation Aid Increase
The Watervliet City School District (WCSD) plans to use its Foundation Aid increase to address the following priority areas, as described below.
- Increasing graduation rates and eliminating the achievement gap
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Alternative Learning Pathway, Increase UPK funding to ensure full-day programming
- Community Feedback Reflected: Presented the plan for the alternative learning pathway and was well received.
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $225,000
- Reducing class sizes
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Lower secondary science class size
- Community Feedback Reflected: N/A
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $85,000
- Providing supports for students who are not meeting, or at risk of not meeting, state learning standards in core academic subject areas
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Increase K-12 school day by 20 minutes, Update science curriculum to address Next Generation Learning Standards
- Community Feedback Reflected: Community questioned the school schedule and how this would affect arrival and dismissal of students.
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $636,000
- Addressing student social-emotional health
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Contracted Mental Health Services, Increase SRO Services
- Community Feedback Reflected: Request from the community to increase mental health providers or social workers. Request from Board of Education member to consider increasing SRO services to 5 days a week from 3 days a week.
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $110,000
- Providing adequate resources to English language learners, students with disabilities, and students experiencing homelessness
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Improve teacher to student ratio for ENL students and Students with Disabilities, Address transportation costs for displaced students experiencing homelessness
- Community Feedback Reflected: Community questioned the cost of contractual transportation to transport displaced students and were shocked by the per day cost of $449.
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $670,000
Other Priority Areas
- Increase afterschool athletic opportunities for students
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Additional athletic coaching positions
- Community Feedback Reflected: Question was raised to consider working with neighboring district to offer additional athletic opportunities. This was reviewed and agreed upon.
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $94,000
- Address increased technology (IT) support and infrastructure
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Replace outdated servers, update classroom computers, hire part-time IT support
- Community Feedback Reflected: N/A
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $112,000
- Address Transportation Needs
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Lease a new school bus, hire bus driver
- Community Feedback Reflected: Community agreed that an additional school bus is needed to assist with increased contractual transportation
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $160,000
- Facilities Maintenance
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Transfer increased maintenance staff cost from federal funding to general fund, establish preventative HVAC maintenance contracts, increased energy costs
- Community Feedback Reflected: Community felt these positions are needed and a fair wage needs to be offered in order to compete with other work places.
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $160,000
- Hiring Costs
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: New required Civil Service Cost from City of Watervliet
- Community Feedback Reflected: N/A
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $20,000
- Employee Benefits Increase
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Employee benefits cost increased with added positions and there was an increase cost presented by providers for the upcoming school year
- Community Feedback Reflected: N/A
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $300,000
- Debt Service Increase
- Key Goals, Metrics, or Ratios: Increased cost of Bond Anticipation Notes for next year
- Community Feedback Reflected: N/A
- New Foundation Aid Funds to Support Initiative: $650,000
Analysis of public comment from parents, teachers, and other stakeholders
2023-2024 Budget Planning Schedule
- January 12, 3:00 pm – A-Team Mtg. – Budget Schedule and Documents were shared and discussed with the administrators
- January 18, 9:00 am – Grant Budget Review completed with the Business Official, Assistant Superintendent, and Superintendent
- January 24, 9:30 am – P & D Mtg. – District Administrators and building Principals discussed budgets and drafted plans.
- February 9, 3:00 pm – A-Team Mtg. – All administrators drafted budget recommendations
- February 13, 9:00 am – Drafted the curriculum budget with stakeholders
- February 14, 9:00 am – Drafted the special education budget with stakeholders
- February 15, 9:00 am – Drafted the athletics budget with stakeholders
- February 16, 9:00 am – Drafted the technology, safety, and accountability budget with stakeholders
- February 17, 3:00 pm – Reviewed building-level budgets from teachers, support staff, and principals
- March 1, 6:00 pm – Held Budget Workshop – Presentation #1 – The community was overall receptive to the presentation and brought up topics for discussion, including mental health, the School Resource Officer, merging athletic programs, and non-aligned staff increases. Parents, board members, teachers, and administrators were in attendance.
- March 8, 6:30 pm – PTA Mtg. – Budget Presentation #2 – Another presentation was completed in conjunction with the elementary school PTA meeting. Many more parents and teachers were in attendance. The increased information from the first presentation was appreciated by parents. Feedback included questions about athletics and extending the school day. The meeting was live-streamed for all PTA members.
- March 14, 6 pm – BOE Mtg. – Budget Presentation #3 – Additional budget information was presented in conjunction with a Board of Education meeting. Assembly Member John McDonald, who represents the district, joined to share the state of the NYS budget and its impact on our district. In addition to board members, several administrators, teachers, and parents were in attendance. Feedback included dialogue about increased transportation costs, shared services, and regional programs. The board meeting, along with this presentation, was live-streamed for the wider community.
- April 4, 6 pm – BOE Mtg. – Final Budget Presentation was given, and limited feedback was shared due to the multiple previous presentations. The board of education adopted the proposed budget. The board meeting, along with this presentation, was livestreamed for the wider community.
- Early May – Budget Newsletter was mailed to residents within the school district and hard copies of the proposed budget were available for review by community members in the district office.
- May 2, 6 pm – BOE Mtg. with Budget Hearing – A public budget hearing was conducted with limited feedback. All budget presentations and information are available on the school district website. The hearing was live-streamed for the wider community.
- May 16, 11:00 am – 8:00 pm – Budget Vote & Election – Affirmative vote for the budget.