With the NY Legislature scheduled to return to state budget negotiations Sunday, the Ramapo Central School District will also return to the budget table.

By the time of the BOE Budget Workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, the big Albany budget reveal should be complete, with a new proposed statewide teacher evaluation system, plan for failing schools and allocation for school aid all to be determined.

Ramapo Central Schools start Spring Break on Friday, April 3, with schools out on vacation through Friday, April 10.

School allocation monies have held up the local budget process.

Top commercial tax payers in the Ramapo Central School District, via 2015-16 proposed district budget and office of Assistant Superintendent of Business Kelly Seibert.

The RCSD budget for 2014-15 was approximately $130 million. The district has continued to emphasize the loss of some $12 million in GAP Elimination funds owed the district since the 2010-11 school year, which, essentially, make up for much of the district’s budget shortfall. This year RCSD may be again looking at another million dollar plus budget shortfall — last year’s budget gap was closed using reserve funds.

Graph of home internet access for Suffern High School and Middle School students via a recent technology survey — provided by Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Lisa Weber.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Kelly Seibert has led the district’s budget process, presenting along the way a few interesting and enlightening local fiscal factors from the office of NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli:

• Through the 2012 to 2014 fiscal monitoring years, Rockland County, the Town of Ramapo, Village of Suffern, and East Ramapo School District have all been under significant stress, which means all have experienced low cash flow, use of reserve funds and/or short term borrowing with moderate debt.
• From 2003, the Town of Ramapo has experienced a total assessed value assessment reduction of some $68 million.
• RCSD tax certiorari petitions have nearly doubled from approximately $1.5 million to $3.2 million since 2010 (tax certiorari is the legal process for real property assessment reviews) — thus the RCSD has lost some $3 million in tax assessments: new petitions include 400 Rella, Licata Trust, Orange Avenue Properties, Pierson Lakes, Ramapo Land, United Water, and Watchtower.
• The top RCSD commercial tax payers include Orange and Rockland/Con Edison, Novartis, United Water of New York, Four Hundred Rella, and Verizon New York.

Survey of how students perceived their own digital skills, via Ramapo Central Schools Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Lisa Weber.

At the March 17 RCSD BOE meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Lisa Weber made a presentation on the results of a recent district technology clarity survey. The survey measured, among other things, district student, parent and teacher computer access as well as perceived technology skills.

One interesting fact saw some 87% of students reported that they received advice and instruction on responsible internet use from parents or guardians. Additionally, some 99% of Suffern High School and Middle School students reported that they had internet access at home.