February 2010

Dear Community Members:

“Celebrate your success and stand strong when adversity hits, for when the storm clouds come in, the eagles soar while the small birds take cover” (Author unknown).

I read the quote above and thought of the economic crisis we face, but revel in our commitment to our children’s education.  Families support the academic, athletic, and musical talents of our students through attendance at functions and guidance at home.

Not withstanding, the economic storm has resulted in many struggles.  I can assure you the Wayland-Cohocton Board of Education, with assistance from staff, are evaluating the budget constraints.  It is our goal to maintain quality programs in the most fiscally responsive manner, which is why we are looking carefully at every expenditure and revenue source.

It is easy to get caught up in the news being reported out of Albany about New York States financial situation and the impact on school budgets.  Governor Patterson has proposed a NYS budget that includes a $1.1 billion reduction for K-12 education across the state.  Wayland-Cohocton would receive a 5% reduction in State Aid which would reduce our revenue $1.3 million.  However, the Governor and Legislature have yet to finalize any budget decisions.

A revenue cut of this magnitude makes the work of planning a budget much more complex.  Despite the budget uncertainty we are committed to delivering a high quality education to our community.  That means that each budget decision will be tied to our commitment to high achievement for all students.

During the next three months, school administrators will complete the budget planning process and our Board of Education will review and revise these budget plans.  We start the budget planning process by analyzing the programs and costs from last year.  From there we will find prudent savings in purchasing of equipment, supplies, and commodities.  We will use appropriate reserves from savings to reduce costs and to offset taxes.  We will develop a prioritized list of potential program reductions so that we can make fair decisions if/when it becomes necessary to reduce programs.  Our priorities will clearly identify that first reductions must have the least impact on educational programming. 

Throughout the budget process, I encourage you to stay informed and share your thoughts with the Board of Education and me.  I am confident the budget will provide quality services to our children and community, as we are the Eagles and will continue to soar in the face of adversity!