Letter To The Editor – BCSD 19.7 Million Dollar Referendum

To the Editor:
Many BCS District residents may be wondering why I did not vote for this referendum. First, I would like to point out that I, too, want what is best for our children and the taxpayers. The problem is that there are no easy answers here. However, I am confident that the current plan put before you is not the right choice. This plan will cost the taxpayers almost 1 million dollars for the next 15 years, and it doesn’t even address all of the problems in the District.
The amount the taxpayers are responsible for will be offset by the consolidation. However, even the highest estimate does not cover the full cost of this referendum let alone the future work that will have to be done. In addition, we have yet to prove the savings from closing Stephentown. This can’t be analyzed until we have completed the year and reviewed the numbers.
The proposed referendum does not have any location for the business office which currently occupies 2,500 SF of space.  If we use one of the empty buildings, we would lose savings and we would need to make this building compliant with health, safety and ADA issues. None of this is accounted for in this referendum.
We will also not be addressing any of issues at the bus garage even through we have been told that we are in jeopardy of being fined. At a recent workshop we were clearly informed that this would need to be addressed with a second referendum.
The Berlin Elementary plan allows for minimal space. Grades k and first need smaller class sizes due to the age and maturity level of the little ones. We often see a total of 4 sections for each of these grades. This school year we were expecting three kindergarten classes and ended up with four. If this happens under the current model we will have a choice of larger classes or taking the space from another vital program, such as Art or Music.
We are in a difficult and uncertain economic time. The Governor has discussed the need to cut school funding. It is his belief that school districts will make it through fine because they will rely on their reserve funds. But our reserve funds will be depleted to pay for a referendum that still does not bring our district totally into compliance. In addition, in 1 years our district will need to fill the gap of $535,000 that will be left once the federal stimulus money is gone.
We are digging ourselves into a hole from which we will never recover. It will burden the taxpayers for the next 15 years and impact the education of our children. Depending on the economy, it may take a few years before the reality of this plan seeps in. By then our savings will be gone, and we will probably still have another decade of payments to make. The bus garage will become an issue we need to address, whether we like it or not. I am sure that somewhere within this timeframe we will probably need more work done at [the High School in] Cherry Plain.
This referendum may or may not be done in its entirety. It was pointed out at the last Board meeting that if we run into financial difficulty that we could scale back what is done. The end result could be much different than what was promised to the public.
This letter is not meant to minimize the hard work of Board members, the BCSD staff or the community members. I simply feel that the taxpayers should get all of the details not a selection of the details. The taxpayers need to know all of the risks involved before voting.
I feel we cannot sustain the partial plan put before the taxpayers and this is the reason why I will not support it. We can’t afford to piece this project together. If the cost of correcting all of the major issues is not within our ability to pay then we must have the wrong plan. It is a fine balance to juggle the finances and the educational programs our district provides. This expenditure will severely tip the scales causing us problems for many years to come. I don’t want the children or the taxpayers of this district to suffer for our decisions.
Beverly Stewart
Board of Education member (These views are my own and not meant to represent the board as a whole in any way, shape or form.)