Facing pressures that push the preliminary 2013-14 school budget above the mandated tax levy cap, the Bronxville Board of Education took two significant cost containment steps at its January meeting.
The Board accepted an offer by the administrators' bargaining unit to freeze wages for two years. The group came forward with a proposal to extend their current contract, with no wage increase and no merit pay in 2013-14 and merit pay only in 2014-15. Superintendent David Quattrone stated that the proposal was responsive to current fiscal realities and enabled the District to plan without prolonged negotiations. In 2010 the administrators came forward with similar concessions, slowing down previously negotiated wage increases over a two-year extension.
The Board also endorsed a retirement incentive crafted by the BTA and the administration. The incentive repeats a plan made in 2011 in which teachers announcing their retirement by February 8 are eligible for a $25,000 payment. The plan requires a minimum of three teachers to participate. The cost effectiveness of this plan comes from anticipated salary savings as new, less experienced teachers move into vacated positions.
These two cost containment steps come at a time when the budget is expected to rise by about 4%. This represents about $2 million in new money, half of which is attributable to mandatory retirement system contributions. (As Assistant Superintendent Dan Carlin explained, any increase in retirement contributions above 2% is exempt from the tax cap, so in Bronxville's case the functional cap is actually over 3%, but that does not alter the main tax levy impact of the additional funds required to sustain current programs.)
The preliminary budget will be presented at a workshop open to the public on Saturday, February 2nd at 9:00 AM in the Multi-Purpose Room. (This is a change from the printed calendar.) At that time, the Board will review the projected expenditures and possible reductions, including the savings agreed to at the January Board meeting.
