When Business Administrator Mary June King reported on the state of the 2015-16 budget a few weeks ago she included what she characterized as instructional program growth of $290,000 value for net cost increase of $50,000.  After years of cuts Lansing school administrators are advocating that modest program increases be approved.

"The projected budget with these additions is $50,000 more," she said.  "It's really an instructional program growth of $290,000 value that we can get for less than $50,000 because of the reductions, some related to retirement breakage.  That is something we expect to see in the next few years, some retirement breakage planning."

King said that anticipated retirements would give administrators flexibility in adding new positions where they deem they are needed without adding too much to the tax bills.  But school board members didn't accept that at face value, saying they wanted a more detailed justification for the positions before they vote to include them in the upcoming budget.

King provided that Monday when she presented a presentation put together by Superintendent Chris Pettograsso, who was in Albany Monday lobbying for an increase in state school aid.

The new positions include a 1.0 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) Elementary Teacher, a .5 FTE Social Worker provided by TST BOCES, a .5 FTE Special Education Teacher, a Teaching Assistant shifting to a Teacher Position at ES, and a Teacher on Special Assignment (AD/ Dean of Students) shifting to an administrative position.  It also includes a Dean of Students/ Athletic Director, which would shift the current athletic director position that is currently filled by a percentage of a teacher's day to an administrative position.

One of the teachers is to address growth in the elementary school population.  Pettograsso notes that while other districts are shrinking, Lansing is attracting more students.  The elementary school grew by 16 students last year, the middle school by three and the high school by ten.  Since those numbers were recorded new students have continued to increase Lansing's numbers.

The elementary school teacher is in response to growth in the third grade population, the most cut and dry justification.  Administrators say that the high school Dean of Students/Athletic Director position will not only fill a need in assisting the principal, but also provide a mandated Director of PE position.  Others have to do with fulfilling new state requirements and support services needed because of the increasing student population.

In the 2008-09 school year 6.5 teaching positions, a teacher aide, 1.5 staff and an administrative position were cut.  In 2010-11 5 teachers and an assistant principal/athletic director were cut to be replaced by a .4 athletic director and 1.55 teaching positions.  In 2011-12 four teachers and a teaching assistant position were dropped with a .6 science teacher replacing the losses.  In 2012-13 four.2 teaching positions were cut plus one psychologist job.  Some of those positions were covered with the equivalent of 2 teaching positions and a new .8 curriculum director position obtained through BOCES.

Were you keeping score?  That was 16 3/4 positions lost in those four school years. 

Now it is up to school board members to decide whether it is time to start rebuilding, and whether they are willing to fund the proposed positions.  The 2015-16 budget is currently projected at $28,700,000.

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