NLCSD Reverses Two Teacher Lay- Offs

by Phil Zema
The New Lebanon Board of Education will not eliminate a business teacher’s or physical education teacher’s position. Initially, these positions were in peril due to the difficult economic times, but because of faculty and community concern, the Board worked to develop an alternative route that was both diplomatic and practical. Instead of entirely eliminating the positions, the Board opted to reduce the business instructor’s position to a .6 (i.e. he will have only 3/5ths of the instructional duties he held before) and the physical education instructor’s to a .5, or ½ the duties.
The Union Free School Committee (UFSC) also proposed a plan to apply for a grant.  The grant comes from the “National Trust for Historic Preservation, Lowes Charitable and Educational Fund,” and it is specifically designed to help communities restore historic school buildings. One condition for receiving the grant, however, is that the building must serve a community function, (for example as a senior and/or youth center. The grant’s deadline is April 30, but for the Union Free School to be awarded the grant, the New Lebanon School Board had to write a letter saying it approved of the application.
If awarded, the grant would be worth $50k.  This money would then be used to help stabilize the building’s interior.  As of now, the pre-stabilization process would likely be conducted by the Western Building Stabilization Company.  While the building is not entirely unusable, before it can be deemed safe and functional a number of renovations are necessary.  The grant would be the first step in the restoration process, and it could open up pathways to other funding sources.  It was asked whether the committee had identified a particular function for the building.  The response was that the building’s purpose was still being discussed, and since the grant will not be awarded until June, there is still time to develop a plan.  In that time, the UFSC will explore whether restoring the building is in the community’s best interest.
Furthermore, by writing the letter, the Board does not commit itself to approving the project.  However, it was agreed by the Board that if the UFSC’s request was denied, it would deal a critical blow to the project; psychologically, rejection would enervate the momentum gained by the UFSC.  To the elation of the UFSC’s representatives, the Board made a unanimous decision to write the letter.
New Lebanon’s BOE also passed the 2010-2011 school budget. There will be an information meeting outlining the budget’s details on May 5 at the Walter B. Howard Elementary School. The final budget totals $12,634,633, which is $266,795 less than last year’s.  Yet because of state aid cuts, the tax levy will still increase by 1.48%.  While the state’s economic turmoil will likely linger, there is a possibility that $600k in state aid will be restored.  If restored, the money will come well after the public decides on the budget.  If so, the Board will likely leave the budget as it stands, but apply the money towards decreasing the tax levy.  By doing so, the levy would decrease by .25%.
The Supervisor of the Transportation Department, Ed Davis, is retiring.  To fill his position, the Board has three available options.  First, it could simply hire another full time transportation supervisor, or they could share with the Berlin Central School District with each school splitting the supervisor’s salary, or they could share the position with the Schodack Central School District.  There were questions about which option would be the most cost effective and beneficial.  Ultimately, no decision was made, and the issue will be further discussed in upcoming BOE meetings.